Brokenness: Study two part 1. Purifying of silver and gold

“2 Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. 3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. 6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. 7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge. 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:2-10 (KJV)

Job was a man that really passed through more things than what some of us are going through today. Have you been in situations where you felt like Job? He looked to the right hand and left hand; he could not locate God in what he was going through. Even in places where he had seen and experienced God before, he looked and felt God had left him behind and moved on. Not only had God moved on without him, he felt that even when he seems like coming close to locating God so as to talk with Him, He hides Himself making things more difficult for him. One of the most excruciating experiences we go through is not oftentimes our difficult circumstances but the pains we go through when God seems so far away in the midst of our troubles. You try to do the things you are familiar with, the things He used to respond to anytime you do them, and He does not respond to you. You are not alone. Job called it a time of trial, test and God’s examination (TLB). He said that when God is finished, “I shall come forth as gold”.

Brokenness is an experience that ordinarily is not sweet to the person involved, but it is aimed at making him look better in a way that pleases God. God uses all our experiences, both the ugly, hurtful and ‘good’ experiences, to make us shine better in this dark world. The whole idea of the gold smith putting gold, though precious, into the furnace is to improve its quality and not to destroy it; to remove the dross so that He can use it for vessel.

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

The trial of our faith is more precious than gold which perishes and God, being the Master Gold Smith, oftentimes subjects or allows His child go through a “purifying” experience to improve his character, develop spiritual inner strength, expose and purify his heart, and cause the image of His Son to be seen more clearly in them

“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: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 1 Pet 1:7-9 (KJV)

Every dealing of God, though painful it may be, is to help us grow and better represent Him in this world as His sons He can trust. The more our character is refined, the more men see Jesus through us. The more we are transparent. It is not always a forever experience; it comes at a time God may want to prove us.
We live in a world that does not like pain and we avoid it any how we can. That is the way we are. However, sometimes, there is no other way to work out God’s purpose in us other than through pain. There is no other way to refine gold if you must get the best out of it. Gold is not glorified together with the dross. The dross must be removed and the process is through fire.
Nobody displays the gold with its dross in the show room. The ore must be taken to the gold smith who puts it in the furnace. As it stays in the furnace, all the dross will be melting away as the temperature rises. The longer it stays in the furnace, the higher the quality of your final product. I heard a story where a gold smith was asked when he knows that the gold is due to be brought out of the fire and he answered, “When I begin to see my image on the gold, then I know it is time to bring it out”.

Our heart can easily drift from God and get attached to a lot of things we are familiar with. It can easily be tied down by the world. The same way the silver smith uses the crucible to test silver, the gold smith uses the furnace to refine gold, God uses our experiences to refine us.

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.” Prov 17:3 (NIV)

In kingdom terms, woods, hay and stubble are useless materials. God does not have anything to do with them. They cannot meet God’s standard and cannot be used for any thing of eternal value. It may have surprise you that the materials God purifies are the gold ones.

“2 But 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: 3 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. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. Mal 3:2-4 (KJV)

This speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and what will happen in His days. God will raise vessels that will offer acceptable sacrifices to Him in righteousness. The sons of Levi will be purged as gold is purified. Now, why will it not involve all of the sons of Israel? This is because, not all will be able to withstand the purifying experience. Only the Levites will stand and the reason is because God wants to use them.

One of the problems we have today is the issue of worldliness. Believers are in competition with the world; hence they compromise in all kinds of things so as to meet up. We lose our identity and distinctiveness before there is no apparent dividing line. Most preachers no longer challenge us to live holy lives. They challenge us to go and get money and bring into the church without caring how and where we get the money from. They tell us that we are not supposed to suffer at all. We are to continually be on top of others, dominate and rule over them. This makes us not to be ready for God to use us for His purposes. Our eyes no longer go to service opportunities but to thrones to occupy. God does not use already made instruments. He makes His instruments and uses them. This process of re-orienting and preparing us is not all the time a smooth one. I oftentimes takes the form of purify like gold is purified in fire.

Enjoyment and joy: Are they the same?

We were in a Bible Study yesterday in the Church and an argument ensued. It was whether Paul had in mind. enjoyment/pleasure when he was asking the Phillippians to rejoice again and again as they live their Christian life.

I want to ask the same question here to get other opinions from you.

To me, I think that there is a world of difference between the two words. You can have tribulations and trials and still have peace and joy but you cannot have enjoyment in the midst of pains.

Remain blessed!

Sister Meena (29) gand raped in India.

Indeed "Tough times require tough faith"
Just go through this prayer alert from The Persecuted Church and see what our fellow christians are going through in different parts of the world. I suggest you freely subscribe for these emails so you can be receiving them yourself. Make sure you pray.

Ten men charged with raping nun in India

Indian police charged ten men on January 29 for the rape of a Catholic nun that occurred during anti-Christian violence that erupted in Orissa in August (read the story). On August 25, a mob of Hindu militants attacked the prayer hall in the village of K. Nuagaon, Kandhamal district where Sister Meena (29) worked. She was grabbed by several men who tore off her clothes and held her down while one man raped her. Sister Meena was then paraded naked through the streets along with a priest. Although police were present, they did nothing to stop the assault. The ten have been charged with gang rape since assisting rape carries the same charge as actually committing the crime according to Indian law. At last report, the rapist had not yet been found.

Pray that authorities will bring to justice all who were involved in the attack. Pray that Sister Meena will look to God for strength as she recovers. Pray for a lasting peace in Orissa state.

Find out more about how Indian Christians suffer for Jesus' sake from www.persecution.net

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Pray For Us... This is the plea of persecuted Christians around the world. Today 200 million people are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ, and over 165 thousand will be killed this year for their witness or identification with Jesus. On November 9, Canadians will join with Christians in over 130 countries to stand in prayer with our suffering sisters and brothers for the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). The theme this year is "Pray for the Persecutors," based on Romans 12:9-21. To get your church, Bible Study or small group involved in IDOP, go to www.idop.ca, where you can download a free resource kit.

If you are a Pastor or Christian leader, especially those who lead prayer groups, please organize your prayer group to observe this day. You can change your prayer programme to accommodate this IDOP.

Remain blessed!

Pray for our persecuted brethren in India.

India has been a relatively calm place until recently. All the anti-conversion laws being passed in India and other Islamic countries are giving the persecution of christian a legal covering. But why the jittery among these other religions? Why should men fight for their gods. Why are they afraid of Christianity? Is it that they don't have strong argument to withstand the reality that Christianity presents?
Brethren, let us continue to pray for our brethren.

http://www.persecution.net/images/countries/india/india1.jpg
Specific instances of personal attacks can be named all across India. In May 2005, the death sentence for the man convicted of murdering Australian missionary Graham Staines and his boys in 1999 was commuted from the death sentence to life imprisonment. Seeing this as leniency for those who kill Christians, a Hindu militant and at least two others entrapped and murdered two pastors on the outskirts of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Reports of village churches being destroyed and church leaders being threatened by local Hindus continue to be a daily reality in India. Other persecution faced by Christians is more subtle, as converts to Christianity are often cast out of their families and face poverty and ostracism.

Prayer Requests

* Pray that militant influences in the government will continue to decrease and that freedom of religion will be recognized throughout India.
* Pray for protection for pastors, evangelists and other Christian workers as they share the Good News of Jesus.
* Pray for that those who turn to Christ will find the means to have their needs met.
* Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians.

See more here

Brokenness - Study One Part 2

Breaking and re-moulding of the clay to meet the Potter’s taste ( Jer.18:1-6)

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” Jer 18:6 (KJV)

Here God is saying that He can handle us the way the potter handles the clay. He is not saying that we are inanimate as the clay or that He has no affection for us, He is just trying to emphasize His sovereignty over our lives and all that concerns us just as the Potter primarily determines what happens to the clay.

One of the ways we grow in relationship with God is when we begin to grasp the fact God does whatever pleases Him in heaven above and in the earth beneath and in all of His creation. He does not exist for us or because of us, we exist because of Him and for Him. He is the Creator while we are His creatures.

His pleasure is more important that our pleasure. In His pleasure, we find our own pleasure. Any pleasure pursued outside of Him ends in disappointment and failure. We are made perfect only in Him. His glory is more important than our glory. In fact, all glory belongs to Him.

In the picture that the prophet paints for us, the wish of the Potter is more paramount than the wish of the clay. He often have reasons for breaking the old vessel He has made in order to re-mould it again. He has that freedom and every man that must follow God must acknowledge this freedom and respect it.
The prophets seem to understand God better than most of us today. Isaiah said:

“But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Isa 64:8 (KJV)

It is a way of declaring our submission to God. Many a times, it takes God months and years of training in order to bring us to this submission. He keeps pitting us into breaking experiences that teaches us that He has the final say in our lives. He allows experiences that shatter our ‘child-hood’ behaviours of thinking that we will always get what we want. He teaches us that we have to allow Him to be God in our lives. It is all about Him. This maturity is not always easy to come by.

We are supposed to be positively responsive to Him as He trains us. We are not bastards. Every child that the parent loves undergoes discipline. We must submit to Him. Perhaps when next you find yourself in situations you cannot control,; things are just out of your hands and you can not do anything about it, that maybe God speaking to you to allow Him to be God in your life.
That is freedom indeed.

Conclusion: Brokenness means willingly losing your rights and will into the will of the Potter to mould you into, not what you want to be, but what He wants you to be. God breaks certain areas in our lives so that we can become malleable in His hands for effective use. The harder the area, the harder He breaks. Most of the times, He breaks the old vessel entirely and begins to mould a new one to His taste. We experience brokenness when God sends us to His workshop for shaping, depending on the place HE has, in His sovereignty, meant for us to fit in His church. Those that run away from the workshop and abandon training end up causing confusion and noise in the church. When people look at them, they question their life because they are not adding beauty to God’s building- the church. Who are you in God’s building?

Download the Small Group Study Guide here

Brokenness - Study One Part 1

This is the first on this series. We had already defined brokenness as the painful process of training and discipline it takes to be totally kept under God and fully submitted to Him. They are those actions taken by God in order to produce character, self-control and habits of obedience in His child. God does not only deal with the visible habits but also the hidden thoughts, attitudes and intents of the heart.
We are going to see examples that illustrate brokenness so that we have better and broader understanding of the subject. They will be discussed exhaustively. Brokenness, no matter how painful it may be, is inevitable to every life that will be useful in God’s hand in bringing divine virtues to this broken world.
Shaping of costly stones in the Quarry for use in God’s building (1kgs 5: 17-18; 6:7)

“And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.” ( I Kings 5:17-18 KJV).

“And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.” ( I King 6:7
KJV)


A quarry is an open excavation from which stone is cut, usually for building purposes…while building stones were occasionally finished at the quarry, the final dressing was usually completed at the building site. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
The stones are cut into desired shapes. Rough edges are removed. If a piece of stone is taken to the site and it is discovered that it did not go through the quarry, the workmen will reject it and send it back. Why? Working on it in the building is going to cause noise and extra energy. This is because the tools for preparing the stones are in the quarry. The building site is for finished products to be fixed so as to bring out the beauty of the house. It shows that any stone that did not go to the quarry will be useless to the builders at the site.
From 1 Kings 5:17, we learn that the stones were great ones, costly and expensive, yet they had to go to the quarry. They had to go there if they would fit into the plan for the building.

Now, “we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” 1 Cor 3:9 (KJV)

“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Heb 3:6 (KJV)

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Pet 2:5 (KJV)

We are God’s building and at the same time God’s co-builders. We are the instruments God uses to build His house, the Church. God wants to make us able instruments in His hands. However, we must be willing to go to the quarry so that we can fit into God’s plan. All of us are raw materials but our usefulness depends on how we yield and consecrate our lives to God.

There is so much ‘noise, completion, confusion and quarrels’ today in the building site because men have refused training and discipline. We are all here giving reasons why our failures are legitimate and our weaknesses have no help. As we continually submit ourselves to God’s dealings, we grow everyday to become the kind of vessels He wants us to be fit for His use.

The next time you begin to pass through some difficult situation, ask God to help you see whether it is a ‘quarry experience’ for your training or not.

Download the study one guide here for use in small groups!

TOPIC: BROKENNESS

GENERAL INTRODUCTION ON BROKENNESS:
General Memory Verse “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” Rom.8: 28
To break means to subdue, keep under, train or discipline, be brought to a disciplined state, oftentimes by force, blow or strain. When a horse is broken for example, it means that it has accustomed itself to wearing harness and therefore trained and under control. A broken child is a child that has responded positively to training and discipline.
Brokenness is the painful process of training and discipline it takes to be totally kept under God and fully submitted to Him. They are those actions taken by God in order to produce character, self-control and habits of obedience in His child. God does not only deal with the visible habits but also the hidden thoughts, attitudes and intents of the heart. Men may ask questions and be confused when they see God subjecting His faithful child to training and discipline because they judge by appearance. However, God always knows what He is pursuing in every man’s life, though men do not often see it.
The devil does not discipline any of God’s children because he has no right to do so but he can be used by God to achieve His purpose. Each process of brokenness a child of God goes through is allowed by God with good intentions and purposes. Anything can be used instrumentally but God is behind it all. It is entirely the working of God, hooked to His sovereignty and accepted by our faith for His divine purposes. These purposes are oftentimes neither explained nor understood by us in the midst of the process but later. Faith accepts it by saying, “not what I want nor my way but your way and your purpose, Lord”
As we go through this series of studies, it is very important that you settle it in your heart that the devil’s activities are not dominant. It is God’s activities that are dominant and in control of your life as a child of God. The devil’s activities, as far as your life is concerned, are contained and controlled within the activities of God to work together for your good, to the glory of God and the total shame of the devil. Let’s pray and open our hearts unto God so that at the end of this series, He must have achieved the willingness and yieldedness in us to make us what He wants us to be.

Series on Brokenness

This is new.
I'll be doing a series of teachings on this very important matter: Brokenness. I'll provide a downloadable study guide in Adode Reader format for small groups in churches and fellowship groups. You only need to write me to let me know you downloaded the material: evergreenword@gmail.com

Son of top Hamas leader converts to Christianity

God is doing great things these days. This testimony yet again confirms the authenticity of the gospel which we preach.
For every souls that is transformed by the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus, the further it is confirmed the efficacy of the Word of God to change lives.
The son of a Hamas leader gives his life to Christ, calls his father and family to receive Jesus.
By Aaron Klein

WND FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
WorldNetDaily
Son of top Hamas leader converts to Christianity
'I hope my father and family open their eyes to Jesus and the Kingdom of God'
Posted: July 31, 2008
1:35 pm Eastern

JERUSALEM – The son of one of the most popular leaders in the Hamas terrorist organization has moved to the U.S. and converted to Christianity, it has emerged.

In an exclusive interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper, Masab Yousuf, son of West Bank Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef, slammed Hamas, praised Israel and said he hoped his terrorist father will open his eyes to Jesus and to Christianity.

"I know that I'm endangering my life and am even liable to lose my father, but I hope that he'll understand this and that God will give him and my family patience and willingness to open their eyes to Jesus and to Christianity. Maybe one day I'll be able to return to Palestine and to Ramallah with Jesus, in the Kingdom of God," Masab said.

Read it all here

Tension in the LAMBETH Conference as Sudan addresses the press

On Tuesday 22nd of July, the conference experienced a shake up when the Archbishop of the Sudan released a statement calling for the Episcopal Church of the United States to repent, and to cease “with immediate effect” its advocacy of gay bishops and blessings.

Rebuffed by conference organizers in releasing his message, Dr. Daniel Deng, Archbishop of Juba and Primate of the Sudan, went round them and held an impromptu press conference in the media room, and issued a call for Gene Robinson to step aside to save the Communion.

If [Gene Robinson] were a real Christian he would resign” Archbishop Deng said on July 22, as the Episcopal Church’s media handlers looked on in shock. A number of American bishops were taken aback by the Sudanese statement, as Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and a number of her colleagues spent the days before the opening of Lambeth with the Sudanese bishops in Salisbury.
From here, here and here

Read the full address of the Primate of Sudan Dr Daniel Deng Bul here

GAFCON Petition

I love what some folks in the Church of England are doing right now. Thank God for the GAFCON conference and all the people that God used to draft the final statement that has given a lead to what I see will bring sparks of revival in the Anglican Communion.

A petition is available for online signature for those individuals who wish to indicate their solidarity with the GAFCON movement. The wording of the petition is,

"I stand in solidarity with the Jerusalem Declaration and Statement on the Global Anglican Future."

Just click here to sign online

Remember the GAFCON Statement is here

Archbishop of Canterbury: 'Christian doctrine is offensive to Muslims'

It's time the Archbishop of Canterbury tell us actually who he is representing. Is he representing Christians or is he representing Moslems? Just a few weeks ago, he said that Britain should make allowance for Sharia Law.
Last month, a major section of Anglican Christians from around the world held a conference in Jerusalem under a movement - GAFCON, to fashion out the future of the church because of the Archbishop's lack of will to make a decision, or better said, implement decisions he reached with the other Archbishops in several meetings. Now the communion is torn. Many of the Archbishops and Bishops from several nations have boycotted the Lambeth Conference which started on the 15th of July, including "Dr Nazir-Ali, whose seat in Rochester is just 20 miles away." Dr Nazir-Ali was at the GAFCON conference.
Now he's at it again. Is this man real? Is he serious? Is he out to serve God? Is he a practicing Christian or just one of the nominal fellows what chose 'Church work' and are climbing the ladder of leadership because of their prowess? Or does he have a hidden agenda we are yet to know? Does he have convictions? By saying that 'Christian doctrine is offensive to Muslims', he disarms himself and others he represents the boldness to preach the gospel. If it offends the muslims, then what? Doesn't islamic teachings offend others? Why should we continue to capitulate all the time while islam assume a victim status at the expense of all other religions?
May God save from such men who will only end up preparing members for the 'great falling away.'
Read the whole story here!