A diamond in the making

Good evening, friend!!! I'm so glad you still drop by to check on my every now and then. :D I have a new friend, Ellen, who left me a wonderful encouraging comment last time. THANK YOU, Ellen!!!! I really appreciate what you said. :)

I've been ruminating on this message for almost a week. Kenn and I went to Wednesday evening service at our new church for the first time last week; with it being a ways away, we're praying about what God wants us to do. Kenn went to the men's dance class, and I think he thoroughly enjoyed himself. :) I went to Pastor Barbie's class; she's teaching on being under pressure for this quarter - what happens when you, your gifts, your life, EVERYTHING, come under pressure. This lesson was the second - we were in Missouri for the first one. But MAN, was it awesome! I want to share with you my notes from the class; please feel free to discuss, to ask me questions, to comment; I'm sharing so maybe a little of the meat from the Word can nourish us ALL. It's MEAT, girls; Pastor Barbie did a LOT of studying, and managed to put things into words that I could easily follow, eagerly await the next illuminating word. :) If any of it doesn't make sense, let me know! I'll try to clarify, or ask her how I can explain her point better.

Mantles and Rivers

There are only two things we're to be "under": God's sovereignty and grace.

Job 12:7-10: But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

All things testify of God's sovereignty and goodness.

Psalm 19:1-3: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

There is NO place where the voice of the heavens proclaiming God's glory is not heard!

We are all elementally the same - for instance, we're made up of primarily carbon - therefore, we all have the same potential!

ya'halom - Hewbrew word for "diamond". It's only found in two places, in Exodus and Ezekiel. In Exodus, it's on the breastplate of the priests. In Ezekiel, diamonds are associated with the King of Tyre. Diamonds are only mentioned in the Bible when associated with priests and kings.

(Please note: my spelling of the following is probably incorrect, but I did my best! :D)

Sihilet ya'holom - "the elite, special secret diamonds" - it's the name of the special ops arm of Israel's army.

A diamond is birthed in the mantle of the earth. Not the crust, but DEEP into the earth. It has to be under much heat and pressure to become a diamond. And it has to stay at a certain depth for a length of time to become a diamond.

When God births a diamond in you, you already have a mantle!

Pressure + heat + depth = ya'holom

Pressure - those times in your life. YOU know. :)

Heat - the refining fire

Depth - go deep and STAY deep in God

Your strength is not developed in the good times! (We all know this, but I think we can all hear it again!!!)

God is doing SOMETHING in your hard places.

Clarity develops in that place, too.

If the stone starts to move out of the heat and pressure before its time, it doesn't become a diamond. It becomes GRAPHITE.

Diamonds are conductive and magnetic. Just as we are to conduct the light of Christ, and draw men to Him!

God's perfect will is on the other side of our obedience."

Diamonds are released through disruption and explosion. (Think volcano!)

Rivers are what move diamonds around the planet after they're released.

You have the RAW MATERIAL; God placed it in you. God's just bringing out the potential. ONLY CARBON CAN BECOME A DIAMOND. Diamonds are the stuff of priests and kings - set apart, cleansed, and purified.

In these depths, He's giving you strength and clarity, making you conductive of Him, and magnetic to others.

THE DEEPER YOU GO, THE GREATER THE PRESSURE.

Birthed in the depths, in the refining fire, and under the covering of the Ancient. When you're released, it will be explosive and usually instantaneous.

You will always be positioned by The Holy Spirit's movement. ALLOW HIM TO LEAD YOU.