[The Crucible
]
June 09, 2008 20:36
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:11, 12
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[The Crucible
]
June 09, 2008 19:54
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM . . .”Exodus 3:15 a
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So, you’re going through a tough time, or maybe you’re not. Perhaps your life is going smooth with no bumps, twists, or radical turns. Perhaps your tough time in life has already occurred. Perhaps you are in that natural condition of being a token Christian, and you have no desire to grow beyond “normal” church attendance and the occasional “Lord, I need Your help today” prayer. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual life, there is one thing that you and I need to constantly remind ourselves of – God is God.
[The Crucible
]
May 28, 2008 23:26
The day started out bright and sunny. The birds sang their sweet song and flitted from tree to tree. Only a few fluffy, fair weather clouds punctuated the beautiful blue sky. Anyman whistled as he walked along the firm, certain path and content to enjoy the beauty of the day and to praise the Creator for all that is good. He talked at times with his traveling Companion, a delightful Friend he had met many years ago.
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[The Crucible
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May 27, 2008 20:40
Look to the One who Made the Stars
For the last few months I have been walking and living in hell. The pain of this Crucible is greater than I can bear. The lessons that I have learned, at times, seem pointless. My faith and dependence on God wavers and threatens to shatter into a million pieces. In the wavering of my faith and trust in the faithful God, my eyes fall to my circumstances and the wounding of my heart aches for the solace of God’s healing touch. In the torment of my Crucible I wonder, “Why, God? How much more do I need to endure? How much more pain can You put me through?” The answer resounds with deadening silence. There is nothing but emptiness and hopelessness to comfort the wounds and the shaken soul.
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[The Crucible
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May 11, 2008 11:43
Four Thoughts from the Crucible
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:30, 31
In that dark and lonely place called the Crucible there is intense pain and pressure. The loneliness and darkness of that place is excruciatingly unbearable. There are times in the Crucible that death seems better than life – at least then the pain is gone. In that place of torture there is nothing to do but to wonder if you will survive and what you will be like when you emerge from the Crucible. It is easy in that place to blame others for being there. It is easy to lash out in pain at the ones you love and care for most. It is easy to completely miss the point of the Crucible.
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[The Crucible
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April 27, 2008 19:23
Sometimes He Calms the Storm
All who sail the sea of faithFind out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control
[The Crucible
]
April 06, 2008 23:02
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty
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Ps 91:1 (NASB)
In the most recent posts I’ve been writing about the Crucible. It is a place that we often must endure as we journey toward a relationship with God that goes beyond the “Fire escape” salvation. God created us to have a relationship with Him. It was His desire with Adam and Eve. It is His desire for us today.
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[The Crucible
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April 04, 2008 20:22
“When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”Job 23:10b
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Imagine if you were to offer to your wife a beautiful lump of gold ore hanging from a chain or maybe to your fiancée on the day that you propose marriage to her. What do you think the reaction would be to the lump of impure gold? The reality is this: the purity and higher value of gold comes through the process of refinement. That can only happen through the heat and pressure of the crucible. (More)
[The Crucible
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April 03, 2008 21:25
“You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.” Ps 66:10
Gold and silver are two of the most precious metals on earth. When they are brought out of the ground, though, they are filled with impurities and in dire need of refining. The first part of the process is to subject these precious metals to a furnace that heats them to their melting point. For gold this means a heat of more than 1948 F. The second part for gold is to subject the melted gold to a chemical process which refines it to 99.5% pure. (More)
