WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.320 Welcome to Pimoja Ministry. In our first conversation, 00:00:06.419 --> 00:00:09.699 we asked a difficult question. What if the intervention 00:00:09.699 --> 00:00:12.839 was about you? What if, while you are asking 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:15.359 God to change what was happening around you, 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:18.359 God was using the situation to change something 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:21.280 within you? We discovered that sometimes the 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:23.739 greatest testimony of the fire is not simply, 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:27.460 God brought me out. Sometimes the greater testimony 00:00:27.460 --> 00:00:30.239 is, Look at what God brought out of me through 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:33.079 the fire. But that leads us somewhere deeper. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.719 Because before something can be removed, it must 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:39.920 first be revealed. And sometimes there are things 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:42.780 inside us that we cannot see while everything 00:00:42.780 --> 00:00:46.679 is going well. Success can hide them. Comfort 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:50.340 can hide them. Position can hide them. Money 00:00:50.340 --> 00:00:54.700 can hide them. Applause can hide them. Even ministry 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:57.820 can hide them. But pressure has a way of bringing 00:00:57.820 --> 00:01:00.859 hidden things to the surface. And maybe that 00:01:00.859 --> 00:01:04.459 is another reason God allows the fire. The fire 00:01:04.459 --> 00:01:09.519 reveals what success can hide. There is something 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:11.760 important we must understand about pressure. 00:01:12.459 --> 00:01:14.859 Pressure does not always create the reaction. 00:01:15.420 --> 00:01:18.939 Sometimes pressure simply reveals what was already 00:01:18.939 --> 00:01:22.560 there. If I squeeze an orange, an orange juice 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:25.340 comes out. The pressure did not create the juice. 00:01:25.790 --> 00:01:28.469 The pressure revealed what the fruit contained 00:01:28.469 --> 00:01:32.230 and life can work the same way. Someone offends 00:01:32.230 --> 00:01:36.209 you and suddenly anger comes out. Someone challenges 00:01:36.209 --> 00:01:39.769 your authority and pride appears. Someone receives 00:01:39.769 --> 00:01:42.890 something you wanted and jealousy rises. Someone 00:01:42.890 --> 00:01:45.890 misunderstands you and immediately you feel the 00:01:45.890 --> 00:01:49.530 need to defend yourself. God makes you wait and 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:53.549 impatience begins speaking. A door closes and 00:01:53.549 --> 00:01:57.099 suddenly Your faith becomes unstable. Someone 00:01:57.099 --> 00:01:59.859 criticizes you, and words come out of your mouth 00:01:59.859 --> 00:02:03.659 that surprise even you. We often say, look what 00:02:03.659 --> 00:02:06.680 they made me do. But perhaps the more important 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:09.979 question is, why was that reaction available 00:02:09.979 --> 00:02:13.280 inside me? The person may have provoked you. 00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:16.500 The situation may have been unfair. The treatment 00:02:16.500 --> 00:02:20.300 may have been wrong. But the fire may have revealed 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:22.900 something that still needs God's attention inside 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.729 you. That does not excuse what someone else did. 00:02:25.909 --> 00:02:29.090 It simply refuses to allow someone else's wrongdoing 00:02:29.090 --> 00:02:31.810 to prevent us from examining ourselves. That 00:02:31.810 --> 00:02:34.849 is maturity. To know what was in your heart, 00:02:35.069 --> 00:02:38.770 Deuteronomy 8 2 says, remember how the Lord your 00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:41.370 God led you all the way in the wilderness these 00:02:41.370 --> 00:02:44.969 40 years to humble and test you in order to know 00:02:44.969 --> 00:02:48.550 what was in your heart. That scripture is extraordinary. 00:02:49.150 --> 00:02:51.590 The wilderness was not merely about destination. 00:02:51.789 --> 00:02:55.150 It was also about revelation. God was revealing 00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:57.710 Israel to Israel. They had witnessed miracles. 00:02:57.889 --> 00:03:00.550 They had watched the Red Sea open. They had seen 00:03:00.550 --> 00:03:03.669 Pharaoh defeated. They had experienced supernatural 00:03:03.669 --> 00:03:06.689 deliverance. But miracles do not automatically 00:03:06.689 --> 00:03:09.370 produce maturity. You can experience the power 00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:12.129 of God and still have areas of your character 00:03:12.129 --> 00:03:15.270 that require transformation. Israel had left 00:03:15.270 --> 00:03:18.409 Egypt. But under pressure, Egypt began appearing 00:03:18.409 --> 00:03:21.289 in their conversations. When they became hungry, 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.939 Egypt appeared. When they became thirsty, Egypt 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:28.199 appeared. When Moses stayed too long on the mountain, 00:03:28.780 --> 00:03:31.960 Egypt appeared. Whenever circumstances became 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:34.659 uncomfortable, they started remembering the place 00:03:34.659 --> 00:03:37.800 from which God had delivered them. Why? Because 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.520 although they were geographically outside Egypt, 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:43.300 there were still things inside them that had 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:46.740 been shaped by Egypt, and the wilderness exposed 00:03:46.740 --> 00:03:53.069 them. There are moments when one of God's greatest 00:03:53.069 --> 00:03:55.530 revelations is not a revelation about somebody 00:03:55.530 --> 00:03:59.530 else It is a revelation about you and that revelation 00:03:59.530 --> 00:04:02.810 can be uncomfortable Because we usually know 00:04:02.810 --> 00:04:05.729 ourselves according to our intentions God knows 00:04:05.729 --> 00:04:08.430 us according to what is actually inside our hearts 00:04:08.430 --> 00:04:11.310 We say I would never do that until the right 00:04:11.310 --> 00:04:14.349 circumstances arrive We say money could never 00:04:14.349 --> 00:04:17.990 change me until money arrives. We say power would 00:04:17.990 --> 00:04:21.610 never change me until authority arrives we say 00:04:21.610 --> 00:04:24.230 I don't care what people think about me until 00:04:24.230 --> 00:04:27.189 people stop applauding we say I have forgiven 00:04:27.189 --> 00:04:31.009 them until their name comes up again we say I 00:04:31.009 --> 00:04:33.689 trust God until God doesn't answer according 00:04:33.689 --> 00:04:37.149 to our timetable and sometimes God allows circumstances 00:04:37.149 --> 00:04:39.430 that reveal the difference between who we believe 00:04:39.430 --> 00:04:43.110 ourselves to be and who we actually are not to 00:04:43.110 --> 00:04:46.970 condemn us to refine us because you cannot surrender 00:04:46.970 --> 00:04:53.910 something you refuse to recognize. We often talk 00:04:53.910 --> 00:04:56.569 about surviving adversity, but Scripture also 00:04:56.569 --> 00:04:59.850 warns us about surviving success. Deuteronomy 00:04:59.850 --> 00:05:03.250 8 does something fascinating. God warns Israel 00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:05.629 that after the wilderness there will be houses, 00:05:06.110 --> 00:05:10.189 food, land, increase, prosperity, and then Moses 00:05:10.189 --> 00:05:13.480 warns them, Do not forget the Lord. Why? Because 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:16.000 sometimes the wilderness makes you pray in ways 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.339 prosperity does not. Need keeps you dependent. 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.480 Success can make you believe you have become 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:25.220 self -sufficient. When everything is falling 00:05:25.220 --> 00:05:29.000 apart, we often know we need God. But what happens 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.579 when everything starts working? When people know 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.839 your name? When the ministry grows? When your 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:38.079 influence expands? When your financial condition 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:41.279 changes? When you become the person giving instructions 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:44.259 instead of receiving them? when doors begin opening. 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.740 That is another kind of test. Sometimes adversity 00:05:48.740 --> 00:05:52.379 reveals weakness. Success reveals character. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:55.220 This is especially important in the Kingdom of 00:05:55.220 --> 00:05:58.740 God. A gift can function while character is struggling. 00:05:59.660 --> 00:06:02.019 Someone can preach and still have unresolved 00:06:02.019 --> 00:06:05.259 anger. Someone can sing beautifully and still 00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:08.480 struggle with pride. Someone can lead and still 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:11.740 have unhealthy appetites. Someone can pray powerfully 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:14.420 and still lack discipline. Someone can understand 00:06:14.420 --> 00:06:17.000 scripture and still mistreat people. Someone 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:19.680 can carry tremendous influence while privately 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:22.839 becoming spiritually weak. And because the gift 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:25.759 continues functioning, we can mistakenly assume 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:29.139 everything is fine. But God's gifts should never 00:06:29.139 --> 00:06:31.939 become evidence that we no longer need refinement. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.439 The gift can attract people. Character determines 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.439 what happens when they arrive. The gift can create 00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:41.420 opportunities. Character determines what we do 00:06:41.420 --> 00:06:44.019 with those opportunities. The gift can produce 00:06:44.019 --> 00:06:46.839 influence. Character determines whether that 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:50.139 influence becomes a blessing or a danger. This 00:06:50.139 --> 00:06:55.519 is why God cares about the vessel. Consider David. 00:06:56.019 --> 00:06:58.300 David knew how to fight when enemies were in 00:06:58.300 --> 00:07:02.000 front of him. He faced Goliath. He survived Saul. 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.199 He lived in caves. He endured rejection. He fought 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:10.649 battles. He depended upon God. But 2 Samuel chapter 00:07:10.649 --> 00:07:13.930 11 begins with an interesting detail. It was 00:07:13.930 --> 00:07:16.829 the season when kings went to war, yet David 00:07:16.829 --> 00:07:20.209 remained in Jerusalem. Then one evening David 00:07:20.209 --> 00:07:24.069 walked on the roof, and he saw Bathsheba. Think 00:07:24.069 --> 00:07:27.649 about this. Goliath could not destroy David. 00:07:28.550 --> 00:07:31.790 Saul could not destroy David. The Philistines 00:07:31.790 --> 00:07:34.850 could not destroy David. The wilderness could 00:07:34.850 --> 00:07:38.079 not destroy David. But when David reached a place 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:42.120 of comfort, another battle appeared. Not outside 00:07:42.120 --> 00:07:46.060 him, inside him. The warrior who had demonstrated 00:07:46.060 --> 00:07:48.540 extraordinary discipline while running for his 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:51.639 life failed to govern desire when he possessed 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:57.360 power. And this is why refinement matters. Sometimes 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.839 your greatest threat is not the enemy standing 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:03.399 in front of you. Sometimes it is the appetite 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:06.550 living within you. David's position gave him 00:08:06.550 --> 00:08:11.209 access. His authority gave him power. An uncontrolled 00:08:11.209 --> 00:08:15.410 desire turned access into opportunity for compromise. 00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:19.649 Then compromise required concealment. Concealment 00:08:19.649 --> 00:08:23.069 produced manipulation, and eventually one moment 00:08:23.069 --> 00:08:26.569 affected a household, a family, a kingdom, and 00:08:26.569 --> 00:08:30.589 generations. The seed looked small. The harvest 00:08:30.589 --> 00:08:35.090 was enormous. The higher you go, the more character 00:08:35.090 --> 00:08:38.250 matters. This is why character cannot be treated 00:08:38.250 --> 00:08:41.710 as optional. At lower levels of responsibility, 00:08:42.309 --> 00:08:45.370 an undisciplined decision may affect you. At 00:08:45.370 --> 00:08:48.450 higher levels, the same weakness can affect hundreds 00:08:48.450 --> 00:08:52.230 or thousands of people. Influence magnifies both 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:55.649 strengths and weaknesses. Authority magnifies 00:08:55.649 --> 00:08:59.889 character. Money magnifies character. Visibility 00:08:59.889 --> 00:09:04.549 magnifies character. Opportunity magnifies character. 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:07.789 This is why sometimes God delays what we are 00:09:07.789 --> 00:09:10.690 asking him to release. Maybe God is not saying, 00:09:11.110 --> 00:09:14.110 you cannot have it. Maybe God is saying, I need 00:09:14.110 --> 00:09:16.690 to prepare you to carry it. Because the blessing 00:09:16.690 --> 00:09:19.710 you are praying for may create access you have 00:09:19.710 --> 00:09:23.649 never had before. And new access requires new 00:09:23.649 --> 00:09:29.250 discipline. This is where James 3 becomes important. 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:32.700 James chapter three speaks about something incredibly 00:09:32.700 --> 00:09:37.340 small, the tongue. James says a bit can control 00:09:37.340 --> 00:09:40.820 a horse. A small rudder can direct a large ship. 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:44.919 A small spark can set a great forest on fire. 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:48.320 And then James turns our attention to the tongue. 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:52.679 Why? Because something small can determine the 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:56.120 direction of something much larger. That is the 00:09:56.120 --> 00:09:58.929 theology of discipline. You don't always lose 00:09:58.929 --> 00:10:02.549 a vision through one enormous decision. Sometimes 00:10:02.549 --> 00:10:05.149 something small repeatedly left undisciplined 00:10:05.149 --> 00:10:08.330 begins steering the entire vessel. A sentence, 00:10:08.750 --> 00:10:13.710 a reaction, an appetite, a conversation, a relationship, 00:10:14.190 --> 00:10:18.049 a private message, a secret habit, a moment of 00:10:18.049 --> 00:10:22.730 anger, a refusal to apologize, one small spark, 00:10:23.090 --> 00:10:26.370 and suddenly an entire forest is burning. James 00:10:26.370 --> 00:10:28.789 is teaching us something bigger than speech. 00:10:29.289 --> 00:10:32.570 Maturity requires government over self. And if 00:10:32.570 --> 00:10:35.210 God is preparing us for greater influence, He 00:10:35.210 --> 00:10:37.830 must teach us to govern what we already possess. 00:10:38.889 --> 00:10:40.970 Can God trust your mouth with your next level? 00:10:41.950 --> 00:10:44.710 Think about this carefully. Maybe before God 00:10:44.710 --> 00:10:47.309 increases your influence, He wants to refine 00:10:47.309 --> 00:10:50.289 your speech, because greater influence means 00:10:50.289 --> 00:10:53.830 your words travel farther. When nobody knows 00:10:53.830 --> 00:10:57.080 you, One careless statement may affect a few 00:10:57.080 --> 00:11:00.240 people. When thousands listen to you, the same 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:02.879 statement can affect thousands. When you become 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:06.059 a leader, your words can create culture. Your 00:11:06.059 --> 00:11:09.500 words can encourage. Your words can destroy. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.039 Your words can heal. Your words can humiliate. 00:11:14.580 --> 00:11:18.240 Your words can protect. Your words can expose 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:20.440 things that should have remained confidential. 00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:24.419 Your words can start battles that wisdom could 00:11:24.419 --> 00:11:27.840 have prevented. So maybe God is refining your 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:30.720 tongue because he intends to increase your voice. 00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:33.700 Can you remain silent when you possess information 00:11:33.700 --> 00:11:36.480 that could embarrass someone? Can you control 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.700 your response when someone disrespects you? Can 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:42.360 you refuse gossip when participating would make 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:46.279 you feel accepted? Can you apologize? Can you 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:48.799 receive correction without immediately defending 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:52.539 yourself? Can you disagree without becoming destructive? 00:11:53.019 --> 00:11:56.019 Can you possess authority without using words 00:11:56.019 --> 00:11:59.279 to humiliate people beneath you? These may look 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:02.480 like small things. James says, look at the rudder, 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:09.820 small thing, large ship. One thing is sure, the 00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:13.279 fire reveals your reactions. One of the clearest 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:15.759 measurements of refinement is not simply what 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:19.179 you believe, it is how you react. Your reaction 00:12:19.179 --> 00:12:21.639 when you are offended. Your reaction when you 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:24.659 are corrected. Your reaction when somebody says 00:12:24.659 --> 00:12:28.440 no. Your reaction when you are overlooked. Your 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:31.539 reaction when somebody else receives recognition. 00:12:31.659 --> 00:12:34.519 Your reaction when God makes you wait. Your reaction 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:37.179 when someone misunderstands you. Your reaction 00:12:37.179 --> 00:12:39.860 when you have the power to retaliate. Because 00:12:39.860 --> 00:12:42.620 reactions reveal what polished appearances can 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:45.580 hide. And sometimes God allows the fire to reach 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:48.240 our reactions. Not because He wants to embarrass 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:54.899 us, because He wants to heal us. One thing is 00:12:54.899 --> 00:12:59.600 true. Exposure can be mercy. This is something 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.899 we need to understand. When God exposes something 00:13:02.899 --> 00:13:06.340 inside you, don't immediately interpret the exposure 00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:10.600 as rejection. Exposure can be mercy. Imagine 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:13.600 discovering a crack in the foundation of a house 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:17.169 before adding another floor. You might be disappointed 00:13:17.169 --> 00:13:19.690 that construction must stop. But discovering 00:13:19.690 --> 00:13:23.190 the crack before expansion is mercy. Because 00:13:23.190 --> 00:13:25.509 expansion would have magnified the weakness. 00:13:25.950 --> 00:13:28.309 And maybe that is what God is doing with some 00:13:28.309 --> 00:13:32.909 of us. You asked Him for expansion. God revealed 00:13:32.909 --> 00:13:36.350 a crack. You asked Him for greater influence. 00:13:36.889 --> 00:13:40.250 God exposed an insecurity. You asked Him for 00:13:40.250 --> 00:13:44.029 greater authority. God exposed anger. You asked 00:13:44.029 --> 00:13:47.250 Him for a relationship. God exposed emotional 00:13:47.250 --> 00:13:50.789 dependency. You asked him for financial increase. 00:13:51.110 --> 00:13:54.230 God exposed poor stewardship. You asked him to 00:13:54.230 --> 00:13:57.289 enlarge the ministry. God exposed an appetite 00:13:57.289 --> 00:14:00.409 that could eventually destroy it. Don't despise 00:14:00.409 --> 00:14:05.610 the revelation. Repair the foundation. Above 00:14:05.610 --> 00:14:09.490 all, don't defend what God is trying to remove. 00:14:10.129 --> 00:14:12.210 This may be one of the most important lessons 00:14:12.210 --> 00:14:15.639 of refinement. When God reveals something, Our 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:19.519 first instinct can be to defend ourselves. That's 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:24.159 just how I am. Everybody does it. They started 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:27.399 it. You don't understand what they did to me. 00:14:27.860 --> 00:14:32.940 I'm only human. Yes, you are human. And yes, 00:14:33.220 --> 00:14:36.460 grace is real. But grace is not permission to 00:14:36.460 --> 00:14:39.919 protect what God is trying to transform. There 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:42.840 are things God forgives that he still wants to 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:45.679 remove from our character. There are patterns 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:48.580 mercy covers that sanctification must confront 00:14:48.580 --> 00:14:52.059 so when the fire reveals something Don't waste 00:14:52.059 --> 00:14:56.740 the revelation defending it bring it to God God 00:14:56.740 --> 00:15:00.480 I didn't realize this was still inside me God 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:04.019 I didn't realize how angry I was God I didn't 00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:07.559 realize how much I needed people's approval God 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:10.539 I didn't realize how easily my mouth could become 00:15:10.539 --> 00:15:14.889 destructive God I didn't realize this relationship 00:15:14.889 --> 00:15:18.090 had so much influence over me. God, I didn't 00:15:18.090 --> 00:15:20.850 realize how comfortable I had become with compromise. 00:15:21.389 --> 00:15:26.529 And then pray, refine me. One thing's certain, 00:15:27.129 --> 00:15:30.389 the fire is not your enemy. Maybe we have spent 00:15:30.389 --> 00:15:33.470 too much time rebuking every uncomfortable season. 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:36.379 Sometimes we need discernment before we rebuke 00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:39.080 the fire, because not every difficult season 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.379 means God has abandoned you and not every fire 00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:45.960 was created by God. People can hurt us. Our own 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.159 decisions can create consequences. We live in 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:52.700 a fallen world. The enemy can oppose us. But 00:15:52.700 --> 00:15:55.519 here is the confidence of the believer. Whatever 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:58.899 the source of the fire, God can refuse to waste 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:02.500 it. He can take what was intended to weaken you. 00:16:02.620 --> 00:16:05.440 and use it to expose what needs strengthening. 00:16:05.879 --> 00:16:08.899 He can take what was intended to humiliate you 00:16:08.899 --> 00:16:12.200 and use it to develop humility without destroying 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:15.399 your dignity. He can take disappointment and 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.740 teach discernment. He can take betrayal and teach 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:22.500 boundaries. He can take waiting and develop patience. 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:26.279 He can take pressure and reveal character. He 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:30.700 can take the fire and refine the vessel. Therefore, 00:16:30.830 --> 00:16:33.730 Before you ask God to remove it, ask what it 00:16:33.730 --> 00:16:36.509 is revealing. So perhaps our prayer needs to 00:16:36.509 --> 00:16:40.110 change again. Before asking, God, when will this 00:16:40.110 --> 00:16:44.970 end? Ask, God, what is this revealing? What is 00:16:44.970 --> 00:16:47.950 this pressure showing me about myself? What does 00:16:47.950 --> 00:16:51.590 my reaction reveal? What does my anger reveal? 00:16:52.090 --> 00:16:55.350 What does my fear reveal? What does my need to 00:16:55.350 --> 00:16:59.409 retaliate reveal? What does my inability to wait 00:16:59.409 --> 00:17:03.090 reveal? What does my response to correction reveal? 00:17:03.809 --> 00:17:06.970 What does my private life reveal? What does my 00:17:06.970 --> 00:17:10.390 mouth reveal? What happens inside me when nobody 00:17:10.390 --> 00:17:13.750 applauds? What happens when somebody else succeeds? 00:17:14.150 --> 00:17:16.650 What happens when I finally receive authority? 00:17:17.029 --> 00:17:19.710 Because those questions are not designed to condemn 00:17:19.710 --> 00:17:24.410 you. They are invitations to refinement. One 00:17:24.410 --> 00:17:27.549 thing is certain, the fire reveals what success 00:17:27.549 --> 00:17:31.339 can hide. Maybe success allowed you to hide it. 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:34.700 Maybe your gift compensated for it. Maybe your 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:37.819 position protected it. Maybe people were afraid 00:17:37.819 --> 00:17:40.980 to confront it. Maybe applause drowned out conviction. 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:44.220 Maybe comfort made you believe it was gone. And 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:47.400 then the fire came. Suddenly you saw something. 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:49.940 Something uncomfortable. Something you wished 00:17:49.940 --> 00:17:52.920 wasn't there. But don't run from the revelation. 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:56.470 God may be showing you today what he refuses 00:17:56.470 --> 00:17:59.910 to allow to destroy tomorrow. The exposure may 00:17:59.910 --> 00:18:03.450 hurt, but the exposure may also be protection, 00:18:03.789 --> 00:18:06.589 because God is not merely interested in getting 00:18:06.589 --> 00:18:09.970 you to your destination. God is interested in 00:18:09.970 --> 00:18:12.490 the person who arrives there. He is preparing 00:18:12.490 --> 00:18:15.170 your character for your calling, your discipline 00:18:15.170 --> 00:18:18.069 for your opportunity, your humility for your 00:18:18.069 --> 00:18:21.309 influence, your wisdom for your authority. Your 00:18:21.309 --> 00:18:24.369 self -control for your access. Your private life 00:18:24.369 --> 00:18:26.710 for your public assignment. And perhaps your 00:18:26.710 --> 00:18:29.309 fire is revealing something that your success 00:18:29.309 --> 00:18:31.950 would have allowed you to carry for years. So 00:18:31.950 --> 00:18:35.390 don't waste the fire. Let it speak. Let God search 00:18:35.390 --> 00:18:38.730 you. Let the Holy Spirit reveal you to yourself. 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:41.569 And when he puts his finger on something, don't 00:18:41.569 --> 00:18:44.930 hide it. Don't justify it. Don't normalize it. 00:18:45.109 --> 00:18:48.299 Don't protect it. Surrender it. Because God does 00:18:48.299 --> 00:18:51.599 not expose impurities simply to shame the gold. 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:55.019 He exposes them because He intends to refine 00:18:55.019 --> 00:18:58.440 the gold. You are not being refined without purpose. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:01.880 God is preparing a vessel capable of carrying 00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:04.599 what He intends to entrust to it. And in our 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:07.940 next conversation, we will move directly into 00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:10.880 one of the disciplines that protects that vessel. 00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:14.319 Self -discipline. Because vision without discipline 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:18.400 is vulnerable. Gift without discipline is vulnerable. 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:21.819 Anointing without discipline is vulnerable. And 00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:24.980 what God entrusts to us must be protected by 00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:27.440 the character we allow him to develop within 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:31.680 us. This is pimoja ministry, and this is refined 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:32.759 for a purpose.