The Fire! The Crucible! Refine!

THE FIRE! THE CRUCIBLE? REFINEMENT?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Check out: YouTube: Wade Hughes) (Two parts)

HOW DOES A CRUCIBLE FEEL IN THE HOT FIRE? KNEAD? UNITY! AGREEMENT! KNEAD!

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

KNEAD: TO BRING THE INGREDIENTS OF DOUGH TOGETHER… TO BRING TOGETHER.

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED A COOK PREPARE BREAD? There is a process called “KNEADING.” Why do we take dough and knead it? It makes the dough elastic and the bread is much more tender. Push? Pull? Fold it over again and again? The lumps will leave and the dough will get smooth. KNEADING IS A PROCESS.

HAVE WE EVER HAD FELLOWSHIP WHERE WE USED FIRE AND STICKS TO ROAST HOTDOGS AND MAKE A BLACK CRUST OF MARSHMALLOWS? WAS THAT BAD? The fire!

GOD HAS A TOOL WE RARELY LIKE. IT IS CALLED THE CRUCIBLE. WHY DOES GOD USE THE TOOL OF THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION?

TEXT: Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

WE MISUNDERSTAND GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE… AFFLICTION AND TRIALS ARE NOT PUNISHMENT… GOD HAS A FIRE TO REFINE AND TRAIN US FOR THE JOURNEY AHEAD…

Psalm 119:71 (KJV) It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Psalm 119:107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH AFFLICTION...UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BURYING AND PLANTING… EVERYTHING HAS TO BE BROKEN… IT IS GOOD FOR ME… The Bible says: IT IS GOOD FOR ME THAT I WAS AFFLICTED… It was good for me that I got in trouble… It was good for me that no one helped me… It was good for me that I had to go to battle by myself… It was good for me that I was put in a position that THERE WAS ONLY ONE SOLUTION. I had to call on the Lord as never before. We have been going through long dark nights when it seems everything is wrong, this is an opportunity for God to show His power and His stuff…

THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS TEACH US THAT GOD REFINES HIS PEOPLE BY USING HOT, FIERY TRIALS… THIS FURNACE WILL TEST YOU BY AFFLICTIONS AND TRIALS TO STRETCH OUR FAITH TO NEW HEIGHTS.

GOD IS SETTING US ON FIRE TO REFINE AND PURIFY. We need a lot of us to do a little, instead of a few of us doing a lot…

IT WAS GOOD FOR ME THAT GOD PUT ME in the valley of affliction… Can we find comfort in this trial? Affliction can be good… AFFLICTION CAN PUSH US… Troubles teach me I can’t handle this because I am limited… but God has no limits.

THERE ARE TIMES WE HAVE TO BE BROKEN AND SPILLED OUT TO BE EFFECTIVE… LIKE MARY’S ALABASTER BOX… WHEN A SILVERSMITH SEES HIS REFLECTION IS LIKE IN A MIRROR. THE DROSS IS GONE…

3 TIMES the alabaster box (jar) is mentioned in the New Testament. To release the wonderful fragrance the alabaster box had to be broken and spilled out.

Mark 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

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

SOMETIMES IN THE REFINING PROCESS A HAMMER AND ANVIL MUST BE USED TO GET US READY FOR GOD’S WORK…

Proverbs 17:3 (KJV) The firing pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

We know that fire will test and purify silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. God is much more concerned about your attitudes, your words, your deeds and your love.

THE HOTTER THE FLAME THE MORE PURE THE GOLD AND SILVER…

Malachi 3:3 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.

TO HAVE PURE SILVER OR GOLD IT OFTEN REQUIRES THE CRUCIBLE AND THE FIRE TO BE USED MORE THAN ONCE…

We learn some deep lessons of the nature and character of God from His word.

Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT2) The LORD’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.

Often in Biblical times silver was refined 7 times… this is a lesson to becoming completely pure, to finish the process to be totally pure. 7 IS A TYPE IN THE Bible: to finish or complete.