They say when you heat with wood, it warms you three times.  Once when you cut it, once when you stack it and once when you burn it.  This week I have been stacking the first load of our source of heat for next winter and although I’m not looking forward to the heat wave they’re predicting for the week end, I’m in no rush to experience the cold days when it will be necessary to burn it in the wood stove either!  Our wood stove is designed to get the maximum amount of heat out of our wood.  It has a baffle inside the fire box (the place where the wood actually burns) where a “second burn” occurs with the gasses escaping from the wood.  Not only does this keep the pipe running up through the chimney cleaner, it produces more heat to warm the home.
            Fire is not only a source of heat it is an agent for riding impurities in metal.  Metals, both precious and non-precious, are mentioned in several passages concerning the land of Israel (Job 28:1-2, 6, 15-16; Dt. 8:9).  While the Israelites did not have the vast resources for metal production that their neighbors did, they still used items made from iron and copper for household utensils and weaponry (Is. 44:12).  Precious metals were also important.  The Bible contains almost 400 references to gold, often pairing it with silver.  The most illustrious use of these metals was in the construction of both the Tabernacle and Temple.  They were used for the structures as well as the pieces used in worship and were usually the first things carried off by conquering armies (Jer. 52:19).
            It is not surprising to me that life can be like the fire used to purify metals at times.  We face struggles and suffering throughout our days here on earth.  Struggles and suffering can occur when we make poor choices or sometimes they happen because we take a stand for our faith.  But many times God is using our difficulties to mold and shape us to be more like Jesus.  The best image of this type of fire comes to us from the prophet Malachi.  The refiner’s fire of Mal. 3:2-3 (which has been greatly sanitized in many worship songs) was a fire of such intensity that only the purest of metals would remain after it was done.  The refiner was skilled in knowing when to apply more heat, and what metals would separate at different degrees.  By skillful application, he was able to rid the ore of its slag or dross, but the fire had to be large and hot.  The main purpose of the refining process is not to destroy but to purify.  The metaphor illustrates that suffering fulfills a divine plan to remove impurities of character.  The picture of a refiner is a persistent one in the prophets (Is. 1:25; 48:10; Jer. 6:29-30; Ezek. 22:17-22).  Joyce G. Baldwin wrote, “The beauty of this picture is that the refiner looks into the open furnace, or pot, and knows that the process of purifying is complete, and the dross all burnt away, when he can see his image plainly reflected in the molten metal.”
            The Lord’s work as a refiner of men is also described in Is. 1:25, Is. 48:10, Jer. 6:29, Jer. 9:7, Zech. 13:9, Dan. 11: 35, and Dan. 12:10.  The process of refining metal occurs in stages.  As each layer of slag is burned off the fire is intensified so that in the end only the purest metal remains.  Interestingly the process is both one of destruction (getting rid of what is undesirable) and purification (keeping that which is desired).  It is a theme which is picked up by Paul in 1 Cor. 3:10-15 where the purity of one’s “house” will be tested by fire.  What remains here is a “home” that has the Lord as its foundation.
             There a two great lessons about the Lord that we can learn from His role as a Refiner.  The first is that like the smelter who applies different degrees of heat to separate the purest part of the metal from the dross, the Lord will also apply a separating process to His people upon His return to separate those who truly serve Him from those who do not (Mt. 13: 24-30; 25:31-46).  The second is that God’s refining fire is meant for our good (Heb. 12:3-11) and that the outcome of our fiery struggles is glorifying to God (1 Pet. 1:6-7) and has an eternal benefit (Js. 1:1-3)
            I recently ended up in the ER due to the excruciating pain of passing a kidney stone.  Thinking of how our bodies are designed to daily purify themselves and the painful consequences of when they don’t really drove home the picture of God as a Refiner.  Cleaning out the sin in my life can sometimes feel as painful on the emotional level as removing a kidney stone on the physical level.  But as Baldwin noted, when the Refiner looks into my “purified metal” after He has applied the fire of my trials, He knows I’m at my purest when He sees His reflection.  May it be so with me (Heb. 9:11-14; 1 Jn. 3:1-3)!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            I see it every time I walk into my house.  It’s right there by the door.  You can’t miss it- a slate plaque that proclaims “Welcome!” and I must say it’s true.  People are always welcome here.  It reminds me of another place I always felt welcome- the fellowship group of college students I joined during my years at Bethany College.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since I walked that campus as a student, but it has!  I did not choose Bethany because of its academic program, its location, or its resources for life after college.  I chose it because I sensed God was leading me there, and for no other reason!  To say there was a definitive moment which explained why God wanted me there while I was studying there would not really be true.  But now years after the fact, I can certainly see some of the benefits from being there, and surprisingly, they are not academic!  Instead, Bethany College probably contributed more to my spiritual life than my professional development.  And the place where that growth took place was in that fellowship group which we called Agape.  We met on Wednesday evenings with guitars and Bibles, filled the meeting room with song and laughter, and dug deeply into God’s Word with the intent to live out its lessons in our dorms, our classrooms, during our activities and even in the cafeteria!
Agape, like small group Bible studies, youth groups and Sunday school classes are all grounded in the Biblical principal of “koinania”, a Greek word which simply means to share in, fellowship with or participate together.  The Old Testament is written in Hebrew so we don’t see the word appear there.  However, the concept of koinania is definitely a desired component in the relationship between God and humanity (Ex. 25:1-9), and between people (Ps. 133:1-3).
Since it is written in Greek, one would expect the word koinania to appear throughout the New Testament, but surprisingly, koinania is absent from the Gospels.  However it does occur 13 times in the writings of Paul.  Of course the most well known illustration of koinania appears in Acts 4:32-37.  In this passage Luke records a picture of the early church’s practice of sharing their goods among the believing community and their devotion to being together.  We are always impressed by their unity, but we often forget that in Acts 2:42 koinania was an essential part of a life of worship.  The unity of their fellowship proved God was in the midst of them.  When Paul uses the word koinania in his letters he never uses this word in a secular sense.  It is always in a religious context.  For Paul koinania refers strictly to the relation of believers who share a faith in Christ (1 Cor. 1:9, 10:16; 2 Cor. 6:14; 8:4; 13:14, 17; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 3:9; Phil. 1:5) and the kingdom activities of those who belong to Him (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 9:13; Phil. 2:1, 3:10; Phile. 1:6; Heb. 13:16; 1 Jn. 1:3, 6-7).
Jesus may not have taught specific lessons on the subject of koinania but He certainly modeled it with the disciples.  In today’s technologically saturated world we have a tendency to isolate ourselves from one another.  Busy schedules, text messaging, work demands and commuting pull us away from coming together rather than leaving us more time to be with our fellow Christians.  Times being as hard as they are, we need the mutual support and encouragement that we receive from being together.  More importantly when we are gathered together, Christ is in the midst of us (Mt. 18:20)!
At the end of my freshman year at Bethany College, Agape held a picnic.  I told everyone that my mother’s recipe for potato salad was the best in the world and I was assigned the task of making it for the entire group.  I called my mother, got the recipe, and set about making the potato salad.  On the day of the picnic everyone raved about the taste and consumed the entire bowl.  But something was terribly wrong in my opinion.  I’d never seen my mother’s version look so brown, or taste so crunchy.  Yet my friends insisted it was perfect!  So afterwards I called my mother.  I told her I chopped the potatoes, celery, and hard-boiled eggs and put them in the bowl.  I mixed the mayo and the milk and then blended it together.  Why did it turn out so brown and so crunchy?  “Did you cook the potatoes?” my mother asked.  “Oh, you have to cook the potatoes?!” was my reply.  I don’t know if anyone ever figured out I’d fed them raw potatoes, but the sweetness of that fellowship certainly overpowered their taste buds that day!  Are you in koinania?  If not, you might be missing out on some awesome potato salad and fun stories to go with it!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            According to Antipater the Greek historian there were 7 “wonders” in the ancient world.  I think some of our modern marvels might rival theirs.  But I’m not talking about buildings.  I’m thinking of conveniences like duct tape!   It was invented by Vesta Stoudt, a factory worker who wrote to FDR in 1943 about her idea to seal ammunition boxes with a fabric tape saving soldiers precious time during battle.  The idea was forwarded to the War Production Board and a contract was eventually struck with Revolite the division of Johnson and Johnson which produced surgical tape.  Duct Tape has come a long way since then.  Once available only in its traditional silver-gray, it now comes in any color of the rainbow as well as a number of patterns. 
            Images of the inventive things people have done with duct tape abound on the internet.  Why is it so versatile?  It’s because duct tape is made of a finely woven lightweight fabric like the canvas used on theater sets and then coated with polyethelene which gives it more durability than your average packaging or masking tape.  Although its name indicates it can be used on industrial heating and cooling ducts, experience has shown it does not work that well on heated surfaces.  But for the most part duct tape is a great binding agent and by looking at all the creative things people have done with it, one realizes it can really hold a variety of things together!
             Duct tape has reminded me of one of the most amazing attributes of Jesus Christ.  When the apostle Paul was writing to the church at Colossae he was concerned about their understanding of the Son of God.  Battling the influence of several Greek philosophies which denied Christ’s deity, Paul writes that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation (Col. 1:15-20), all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by Him and for Him (v. 16), He existed before all created things and holds them together (v. 17), is the head of the Church (v. 18), has first place in everything including the resurrection from the dead (v. 18), God the Father was pleased to allow His fullness to dwell in Christ (v. 19) and He has reconciled the broken relationship of the fallen world and God through His shed blood (v. 20).  Every point on this list of course is amazing but as I think about that roll of duct tape in my kitchen drawer verse 17 stands out.   An alternate way of reading this verse could be “He is in all things and in Him all things hold together.”
            But what does this mean?  The Greek word which we translate as “hold together” is sunistemi (sue-nis-stem-eye).  It is a compound word formed by two words which mean “together” and “to set, place or stand” and literally means to stand with or to stand together.  Of course this applies to the literal, physical action of standing alongside someone or something.  In Colossians Paul is using the term figuratively and this brings out the idea that parts or pieces are being joined together as a whole as they are being brought into existence much like ingredients are brought together in a bowl to make a savory meal.  A false religion called Gnosticism was infiltrating the church.  According to the Gnostics creation had been carried out by an inferior god who was ignorant of and hostile to the true God.  Paul claims that God’s Son was not only the agent of creation (all things were created by Him) but that He is IN everything He made and actually holding it together.  In other words, He is not only the duct tape, He is the very fibers and polyethelene which give the tape its incredible holding power!
            This may sound high and lofty but there is actual evidence within creation itself.  Your very body is a testimony to this fact.  We have billions of cells in us made up of billions of molecules.  Some of these molecules are “cell adhesion molecules”, also known as “laminin”, and their job is to hold the different membranes in your body together.  When viewed under a microscope the very distinct shape of a cross can be seen in its structure!*  Like an artist’s signature, laminin identifies not only the One who created it, but the One who intrinsically holds all things together.  It’s even more amazing than duct tape.  When we think of Jesus in light of His “adhesive” quality, how could we not join the psalmist in praise of our Creator (Ps. 22: 9-10; 71:6; 139: 13-14)?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
*Want to know more about laminin?  Listen to this short clip by Louie Giglio.  You’ll be truly inspired!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSR8z_OuW5E

            I have salt and pepper shakers on my kitchen counter that get used daily.  They bring to mind a fun story concerning the LeFevre family.  My husband grew up with four brothers and one sister.  Mealtimes were always lively and his mom did her best to feed them on a limited budget.  One time she’d served tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches to her hungry crew but the soup was hot so Jeff and his siblings dug into the sandwiches first- all except his brother Scott who proceeded to “cool down” his soup by adding salt.  Tablespoon after tablespoon was dumped into the bowl but the soup didn’t cool down!  Finally, when it was salted beyond human consumption, Scott lamented he couldn’t eat the soup because it tasted bad.  His mother took a sip and realized what he’d done and asked why.  “Because it takes away the heat” Scott insisted.  Mrs. LeFevre managed to put together another bowl for him and emphatically told him, “Salt does not cool down hot soup.  No more salt!”  The family still gets a chuckle out of that story.
            Salt is not only good for adding flavor to a meal it is an essential for life.  Composed mainly of sodium chloride, this crystalline mineral in its natural form is known as rock salt.  The purified form we use for our food is either mined or gathered by evaporating sea water.  Some salts have proven to have benefits beyond adding flavor to a tasty dish.  Two of the more popular salts, Sea Salt and Himilayan Salt, have risen in popularity for the numerous advantages they have when added to your diet.  According to the popular health physician Dr. Axe Sea Salt is rich in trace minerals, helps avoid dehydration by balancing your fluids, is an excellent source for electrolytes which regulate the heartbeat during muscle contractions during activity, is essential for proper brain, muscle and nervous system function, aids in digestive health, alkalizes the body, eliminates mucus build up, and helps to the build the body’s immune system.  Himilayan Salt also regulates water content throughout the body, eliminates food particles through the intestinal tract, supports respiratory health, promotes sinus health, strengthens the bones and supports the libido.  Both promote blood sugar health, reduce signs of aging, and regulate sleep and blood pressure.  I don’t know about you, but after reading all that information I ordered some!
            Salt was a common seasoning in the Bible too.  It was an important addition to a diet that was comprised mainly of grains and vegetables.  It was obtained by evaporating the waters of the Dead Sea which is seven times saltier than regular sea water or mined from a great ledge of rock salt in a nearby valley.  The purer form of this salt was used in flavoring food and rock salt was spread lightly on soil as a fertilizer.  Salt could also be used medicinally as in Ezek. 16:4 where it is used as a solution to wash a newborn infant.  In NT times salt was used as a form of payment by the Roman army to its officers and men.  Salt is mentioned 35 times in Scripture in a number of settings, the most unusual is probably the story of Lot’s wife who turns into a pillar of salt when she glances back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:26).  Scripture also uses salt symbolically as a representation of purity, loyalty and either desolation or fruitfulness.  It was a required part of the OT sacrifices (Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24) and the prophet Elisha used it to purify a poisonous spring (2 Ki. 2:19-22).   Salt was also associated with the land, especially in connection with the negative impact it could have (Jud. 9:45; Dt. 29:23). 
            But it is Jesus’ words about salt that most people remember (Mt. 5:13).  In this passage Jesus is referring to the rock salt which was used as a fertilizer.  When it contained minerals which gave it some form of taste, the salt added nutrients to the soil.   But those minerals could be leached from the salt by moisture causing the salt to deteriorate under high heat.  Without its “saltiness” the salt had no value to anyone.  Jesus is admonishing His followers to keep the value of their salt at its most useful level.  Paul also used salt to describe the conduct of believers.  In Col. 4:6 he writes, “Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person”.   Whether it is rock salt or table salt, each kind is useful; one for agriculture, the other for food.  But the key is that the salt is useful.  Lawrence O. Richards noted, “As our lives reflect our personal relationship with God the Father, we “fertilize” others, stimulating their spiritual growth, enabling them to taste and see the goodness of our God.”  I want my salt to be just as beneficial to others as Sea Salt or Himilayan Salt is to me.  The only way I can do that is to let Jesus be the Salt that fertilizes me (Gal. 5:16-13; Phil. 2:1-8; Col. 3: 12-17). 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
 

            The pastor stood before the congregation and opened his Bible.  He proceeded to read from the second chapter of Revelation and Christ’s words to the church in Pergamum (Rev. 2: 12-17).  The people sat and listened but no one opened up a Bible or an “app” to look at the words for themselves.  The sermon was personal and heartfelt.  But it had nothing to do with the passage.  The Scripture was merely a diving board into what the pastor wanted to talk about that week.  Unfortunately in order to do this he disregarded two other Scriptures which are critical for all leaders to follow: 2 Tim. 2:14-15 and Rev. 22:18-19.  These passages state that if you are given the responsibility of expounding upon the Scriptures to a group of believers you must understand and teach the Word by the context in which it is given, and you cannot manipulate it to mean what you want it to even if your intended message is a godly one. Without digging into the context of Pergamum and how the items mentioned in this passage related to it, the pastor applied his own meaning to them and no one knew any differently.  Sadly this is the direction of most of Christendom today.
            So in order to get the meaning of this passage correct, we must ask ourselves, “What’s so important about Pergamum?”  Pergamum was a major city in its day and was the site of the first temple built for Caesar worship in 29 B.C.  Christ offers words of encouragement to the church in Pergamum using two images which relate to the Roman way of life.  First they are encouraged to recognize that the Lord Jesus is the one who holds a "sharp double-edged sword" (v.12), an allusion to the Roman government's ius gladii, the symbol of Rome's right to execute capital punishment.  Secondly, they are praised for not denying their faith in Christ before the "throne of Satan", an image reflecting the architecture of the temples built for emperor worship (v.13).
            But Christ also has a word of warning for these valiant believers.  Pervasive paganism caused them to struggle with the effects of living within that culture (vv. 14-15).  Backed by the government, false religions flourished and grew.  Christians faced uncertain times, never knowing when they'd live in peace or under persecution.  Some had been martyred like Antipas (v.13).  Others like the Nicolaitans, had been able to survive by introducing pagan practices into Christianity; a survival tactic that eventually caused them to stumble and fall away from God's Truth (v.14) just as the Israelites fell away from God under the influence of Balaam and Balak (Num. 22-24).  Christ challenges them to repent, because the One who holds the sharp, two-edged sword (v.12) is about to execute judgment in the same manner as Rome (v.16).
            Christians don’t like to think of Christ in terms of judgment. The predominant representation of Him today is often that of a best friend, a buddy, even a boyfriend.  There is also a tendency to think that once a person is saved there are no further responsibilities or obligations on the part of the believer.  Jesus loves me and that’s all I need to know.  In fact, the easier I can make my Christian walk, the better.  Let someone else do the heavy Bible study, reach out to lost people, serve in the nursery or run the children’s program (Jas. 1:27; 2:14-26).  I just want to sit here and soak up the Spirit of Jesus!  This form of Christianity has allowed the infiltration of New Age practices and beliefs to creep into the church and many a believer’s lifestyle. Take yoga for example.  While it may have some health benefits most Christians are unaware that many of the positions and relaxation techniques in yoga are designed to open the human psyche to the spiritual realm- but most certainly not The Spirit.  Compromise in order to placate personal desire is allowed to dictate what the Bible says, giving us permission to blend whatever we please into the way we live rather than letting the Word dictate what is true and how we should live according to that truth.  The way we compromise is a modern day version of Pergamum and we are no less accountable than they are.  We will not be judged concerning our salvation.  Christ has taken care of that (Tit. 3:4-7; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).  But we will most certainly be judged on how well we followed His commands and the amount of compromise we allowed into our walk with Him (2 Cor. 5:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:17-19).
            It may sound trite to say your Bible is the most important thing you own. But it is the only thing that will keep you from compromising your Christian walk and following false or misdirected teaching (2 Tim. 3:14-15).  But you have to read it!  While it is not always “easy” to pull it off the shelf to do so but the rewards are far greater (see Rev. 2:17 for Pergamum’s reward; Dt. 32:45-47; Ps. 19:7-11).  The question however is this:  Are you more likely to pursue something such as exercise at the gym, or exercise your spiritual muscles by reading the Bible or serving the Lord?  The answer says a lot about you.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.     
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre