Vessels of Honor

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I shall show thee My Words.'  Then I went down to the potter's house and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay, was broken in the hand of the potter, so he returned, and made it another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."
                                                                                                                            (Jeremiah 18:1-4).

     Long before Jesus was born, vessels of clay were produced. There are many methods of clay being shaped, but, in this particular passage of Jeremiah, the clay is being molded on the potter's wheel. Symbolically, the potter represents God and men are the clay that God molds on His wheel.
     The process is as follows: the Potter takes a ball of clay and throws it (also means to twist and turn it) onto the center of the wheel. The ball of clay is pressed, squeezed, and pulled upwards into a hollow shape as the wheel rotates round and round. It is then centered into a symmetrical form, opened, floored (develops the foundation), thrown, pulled, and trimmed.
     It takes incredible skill and expertise to use this method. If the clay still needs to be altered, it is accomplished by: impressing, bulging, carving, fluting, and incising. In addition to using His hands, the Potter can use tools, including paddles, anvils and ribs, knives, fluting tools and wires. Further modification can include the attachment of handles, lids, feet, and spouts. If desired, additional decorations, glaze, and precious metals can be applied.
     The clay is then heated and this is when it officially becomes a vessel. A pit fire or bonfire can be used to fire earthenware, but a high-fire kiln is necessay to create stoneware and porcelain. The maximum temperature and duration of firing influences the final characteristics of the vessel. Only the skilled Potter understands the subtleties and nuances that are required to produce the highest qualities.
     We are all earthen vessels, shaped by the Potter, to be used for His purposes. We have different uses and reasons for our existence, but our true value is found from what lies within. 2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us that "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
     Scripture tells us that some vessels are vessels of honor and some are not. We are also told that God has the right to make what He pleases. Romans 9:21 begs the question, "Hath not the  Potter power of the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honor, and yet another to dishonor?"
The clay definitely does not have the power or authority to tell the Potter what to do.
     There are many references to the types of vessels God creates throughout His Word. Some are honorable and some are not. These are the ones I found: vessels of honor, vessels of dishonor, vessels of mercy, ministering vessels, empty vessels, vessels of wrath, holy vessels, chosen vessels, new vessels, broken vessels, pleasant vessels, golden vessels, silver vessels, brass vessels, restored vessels, full vessels, service vessels, dedicated vessels, small vessels, great vessels, precious vessels, polluted vessels, clean vessels, Refiner's vessels, Potter's vessels, and consecrated vessels.
     I'm not really sure what distinguishes these vessels, but I tend to believe it is their character. While we could never control how we are made or what our purpose is, I do believe that every decision and choice we make can be grounded in the absolute of whether our desire was to please and glorify God or whether it was not. God's goal for each one of our lives is that we be transformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
     The origin of our word, 'sincere', comes from two Latin words: sine and cere. In ancient times, when one wished to purchase a clay vessel in the marketplace, there was always the possibility that the merchant might try to sell a vessel that had been cracked. An unscrupulous merchant could use wax and seal the inside of the vessel to conceal the fact that it was a worthless piece of pottery, unable to fulfill its purpose.
     In order to test a vessel, one could place it in an oven ( or in the hot sun) for a period of time to see if the wax would melt. The vessel was then filled with water, and, if there was any wax, the vessel would be unable to contain the fluid. A vessel with no cracks would hold water after the trial of heating and this revealed the absence of wax. The Latin word above literally mean 'without wax'.
When these two Latin words are combined, it describes a vessel whose integrity is intact and therefore is able to fulfill its purpose.
     The sad reality of our lives is that we are all "cracked" or "chipped" at one point or another. At these crucial times, it is our integrity that is in question. Will we lean into our trials and tribulations and allow the Potter to make us into another vessel or will we nurse the crack and try to fill it with other substances that assuage our pain? Our choices are imperative because we are to "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean." (Matthew 23:26).
     Each one of us knows the areas of our lives that need further sanctification. We understand the blights that need to be discarded. We either camoflauge, conceal, or choose to offer them up to the only One who can permanently remove every flaw and defect. Timothy tells us that, "If any man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." ( 2 Timothy 2:21).
     God is faithful and diligent and motivated to prepare us to be everything He created us to be. Sometimes, this can be a painful process. For those times that we feel like we are in the kiln (again), we can remember the words from Peter, who gives us a clear directive. "Wherein ye rejoice, though now for a season (if need require) ye are in heaviness, through manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that peisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the appearing of Jesus Christ." ( 1 Peter 1:6-7).
     When we focus on the resurrection, we see that God is always interested in fixing broken things. Each one of us could probably articulate our current 'Friday' situation, which is our most painful thing. We may feel hard-pressed on all sides and even have pain that is so deep our hope has vanquished. Remember, 'Sunday' is coming..... God will never leave us where we are.
     Regardless of pain, circumstances, trials and difficulties, we still get to choose to live our lives in integrity. The truth is that God is always good and that He will always work our circumstances for our good. Even when it seems impossible. Even when there is no earthly solution. No matter how intense this life gets, we can choose to be vessels of honor that are used to display His glory!

"Everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel in holiness and honor." ( 1 Thes. 4:4).
    

The Good Fight

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called..."
                                                                                                                                     ( 1 Timothy 6:12)


     True Christianity is a fight. When we are born into this world we are unwittingly dropped right smack into the middle of a battlefield. If we could pull back the heavens to peer into the heavenly realms, we would be able to visualize the supernatural forces that fight on our behalf, as well as those who passionately prefer our destruction. There is no neutrality. Each side is established and the battle line is drawn.
     Charles Spurgeon tells us, " The way of spiritual life is no easy one. We shall have to fight every step of the way..."    Our daily battle faces three primary foes: our sinful nature, the worlds' values, and the schemes of the devil. Conflict escalates through temptations, corruption, and powers of darkness. We do not initiate or wage war on our own, as the rules of engagement were established long before our entry to this planet. It is the Light (forces of good) versus the darkness (forces of evil).
     Before we accept Jesus into our lives, we are on the side of darkness because of the fall of humanity that occurred when Adam and Eve sinned. We were called children of wrath (Ephesians
2:3-5) until the time that we become children of God. It is God's intention that each one of us recognize our need for a Savior, repent, and be filled with His Holy Spirit. God takes delight in His beloved children who agree with Him in our state of wretchedness and need of Jesus Christ, who is the Only One who can justify and redeem us in the eyes of a completely Holy God. God takes absolutely no pleasure in the death of those who are not His children (Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 33:11).
     In a war it is usually easy to delineate which soldiers are on which side. There are differences in appearance (in a cultural war) and differences in uniform. Not so, in the wars we face today. Evil appears to be good and good can have the appearance of evil. More and more people exchange the truth for a lie without even realizing that The Truth is a person, in the form of Jesus Christ. All of our preferences and opinions are meaningless in the presence of The Truth.
     Jesus is the ultimate Commander-In-Chief because what He says will stand forever. He issues royal commandments to each one of us and they are non-negotiable. With the Word of God as our offensive weapon and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to conquer daily warfare and tread down upon the powers of death and hell. When Jesus utters a royal decree, our only option is to either obey it or disobey it because we will never have the authority to alter it in any way.
     We become engaged in the good fight with confidence when we are under the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus who is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1). We stumble when we meditate on our past defeats-- times we have fallen flat on our faces because of our own sin or from acquiescing to the worlds' values or satan's schemes. We have to remember that every fall is predicated by the reality that we either did not look to the Word of God or rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.
     Jesus equips us with grace, mercy, and peace for our confidence and assurance ( 1 Timothy 1:2). He also provides full armor for our protection. Daily, we suit up with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We walk in shoes that carry the Gospel of Peace. We are admonished to be prayed up, alert, bold, and of the mindset to persevere (Ephesians 6:13-20).
     Grace from God is unmerited favor. It is when God pours out His goodness in our lives that we absolutely do not deserve. The apex of grace occurred when Jesus substituted His perfection for all of our imperfections. John Piper describes it like this, " Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon."
     Enemies of grace would be the lies that claim we are not good enough, or that somehow it would ever be possible to work hard enough to earn God's favor. These lies thrust us onto the proverbial hamster wheel that screams for us to "Do more!" God's Word assures us to rest my in the reality that we already have all of God's favor. This does not motivate us to be stagnant; it motivates us to fight.
     Grace is the realization that God smiles upon our lives merely because we are His sons and His daughters. He is not disappointed in us. God recognizes the difficulty of the times in which we live and condemnation never originates from Him (Romans 8:1). "Whenever our hearts condemn us," we must remember that "God is greater than our hearts." ( 1 John 3:20). Contrary to condemnation, Tullian Tchividjian tells us that "Grace is love that seeks you out..."
     Mercy is another gift that God places in our arsenal. Mercy is God's compassionate disposition towards us because He always desires to forgive us. In other words, mercy is withholding the punishment from us that we do deserve. Charles Spurgeon tells us, " His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners after great lengths of time and then gives great favors and great privileges and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God!"
     Enemies of God's mercies are the lies that tell us our sins are too great and that we are just too far gone. We cannot outrun mercy. There are not any sins that extend beyond the reach of our loving Heavenly Father who desires nothing more than for us to dwell with Him eternally. He desires this so much that He actually gave His very life for it.
     Jesus is also compassionate toward our struggles. He walked this earth and had great compassion and love for the people in His life. We need to run to God with our struggles because He is the One who can set us free from them. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest  who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need."  (Hebrews 4:14-16).
     Peace is another provision that God gives to His children. Peace is a condition of wholeness and harmony between us and God. Peace exists because of what Jesus did in His death, burial, and resurrection. Peace provides a foundation of stability that allows us to stand before God in full assurance of our salvation. The "firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and ' Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'"(2 Timothy 2:19).
     The enemy of peace is the lie that claims my circumstances define the reality of my life. It is not circumstances, things, goals, or agendas that should define our lives. Paralysis occurs when we define ourselves by anything oter than our identity with Christ.
     We have a heavenly Father who loves us more than anything. He tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7).
     The conflicts around us are escalating. Darkness will continue to increase. God's Word prophesies these events. It will ultimately crescendo when His wrath is poured out upon the earth. The wrath of God will be "revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." (Romans 1:17). Now is the time to fight for the winning team! Now is the time to embrace the Gospel, grace, mercy and peace. It is true we will not fit in with the people on the wide path to destruction, but we are promised  that "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead many to righteousness , like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3).
     Life is hard; it is a fight. But, it is a good fight and we shall be victorious. We are called to get in the battle because God has no bench players. Every Christ follower must be engaged because it is not an option to sit on the sidelines.We cannot settle for nominalism. The Commander has sounded the clarion to fight the flesh, fight the worlds' values, and fight the devil. We do not wage war with carnal weapons, but with spiritual ones. Faith is the hinge on which victory turns.
     The reason our fight is good is because we have the best generals, the best help, the best promises, the results, and the best rewards! Remember, many have fought before us and were more than conquerors. that guarantee is also ours to claim.
     Jesus is not going to return as a helpless babe. He is returning as a victorious conqueror breathing fire against His enemies. The battle is His and we are assured that it is also His to win. After all, He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Who would have the nerve to stand against Him?


"Grace, mercy, and peace are all freely given to undeserving people. If they had to be earned, they could not be, for no price would ever be sufficient."
                                                                                                                          William Mounce

The Road to Restoration

"'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says The Lord Almighty."
                                                                                                                          Zechariah 4:6


     Each one of us are on a journey towards complete restoration in Christ. When we are born, we are given diverse families, environments, and gifts. Our lives are unique and uniquely designed for purpose and productivity. Although our world is fallen, we are still privileged to be image bearers of our God. Despite the ironies that abound, God's ultimate goal for each one of us is a consummated and perfect restoration, which reflects His goodness and nature.
     When God restores us we are renewed, revived, and reestablished to a former unimpaired condition. Restitution of all that was lost or taken will be given. We will enter eternity lacking nothing- redeemed, refined, and restored. And, as if this were not enough, God also lavishes us with rewards for the lives we have lived in obedience to Him!
     Restoration is a promise from God given to His children. In order to receive God's promises, He petitions us to ask Him. "Call unto Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3). God's promises lead us to the gospel of Christ, the truth in His Word, and peace to assist us in our journey.
     Unfortunately, we face the stark reality that so much in our world today is broken: broken hearts, broken marriages, broken families, broken dreams, broken finances, broken bodies, broken self-images, broken spirits, broken relationships, broken souls, broken authority, broken vision, and broken destinies. The good news is that God is the Master of restoring all that is broken back to a state of wholeness. It is His specialty, as He is the God of Restoration.
     Not one of us has the ability to restore everything in our lives. Only God does. The caveat seems to occur when we try to do things in our own strength or in the way we think they should be done. It is only in the guidance, power, and timing of the Holy Spirit that brings restoration to all that is broken. The fulfillment occurs over time as we obediently take one right step at a time. Often, our greatest opponents lie within: our flesh, our selfishness, and our narcissism.
     We traverse through many circumstances and obstacles. At times, our paths are narrow and crooked and frought with dangers. There are mountains and valleys and floods and fires. Despite these, God assures us, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." (Isaiah 43:2).
     Because our individual journey takes place in a land that is foreign to us, we are given Jesus as our guide and companion. There is security in knowing we will not traverse one inch without Him. Our Heavenly Father also provides us with a divine backpack that houses every essential we will need: truth, peace, strength, wisdom, and individualized gifts needed for success (sort of like super powers, if you will). God establishes our course and gives us the path to follow. We try to hasten or delay our travels only to recognize the futility. Ultimately, we all understand that God's sovereignty reigns supreme.
     Jesus never lacks compassion for the challenges we face. At times, scripture tells us His heart even breaks for us. He knows there are times we are harassed, helpless, and lost (Matthew 9:36). He understands when no one else is even capable of understanding. He loves us when we are completely unlovable. He can help us when not another human being can. Christ alone is our "ever-present help in trouble".  (Psalm 46:1).
     God takes no pleasure in our pain and suffering. When He does allow pain and suffering in our lives, it will always be used for our benefit if our lives are yielded to Him. God will use painful circumstances to produce godly sorrow  (in us or others) that leads to repentance and restoration in Him. If we persevere in the midst of our trials, He will allow us to become conduits of a His comfort and mercy towards others. God "comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 
( 2 Corinthians 1:4).
     Redemption always precedes restoration because the most important aspect of  restoration is that we first be restored to our Redeemer. As with a bridegroom and a bride, Jesus already said, "I did" and we are to respond to Him with, "I do". The apostle, Paul, tells us that God "has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." ( 2 Corinthians 1:22). Redemption is essential first because sin distorts and disfigures us to such an extent that we cannot even see God's original purpose and design.
     Sanctification follows our salvation. This occurs only through our submission and trust in Christ alone. As we follow Him, we are challenged to dig deeper within our souls so that we can come up higher in our walk with Him. Maturation is two-fold-- both spiritually and emotionally. We can mature spiritually and be bankrupt emotionally, and vice versa. Both must eventually occur to have power in our walk with God.
     When we are mature, spiritually and emotionally, our primary concern will be for the spiritual and emotional well-being of others. The fruit of selfishness is isolation. While there were times Jesus would go to be alone with His Father, those times were transient and were always for the benefit of others. That is God's way.
     Spiritual wholeness requires walking in the Spirit and being led by God. Emotional wholeness requires that we trust ourselves enough to be insightful and make sound choices. One of the biggest recurring mistakes I have made in my life is by assuming that saying "yes" to others was always the most loving and godly thing to do. It is not. Forgiveness does not always demand reconciliation, especially if it is to the detriment of one or both parties.
     While our words and actions should always be mindful of restoration for all people involved, reconciliation is not always God's will. Co-dependence, addictions, and abusive relationships preclude the Lordship of Jesus in our lives. Total freedom and deliverance is the indicator for true reconciliation. We must proactively pursue counsel and resources to obliterate the hindrances that litter our paths.
     If the scenery of your journey looks more like ancient ruins or places long devastated, don't lose heart. God does have a plan. You will find that the view will change when we practice gratitude in lieu of grieving for that which was lost or stolen. We must kick guilt and shame to the curb. We clear the path of self-destructive patterns when we see ourselves the way that God does. Dysfunction is banished when we view it from the vantage of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. Perfectionism is no longer necessary when we conceptualize there is only One who is truly perfect and His home is not on this earth.
     We do not have to carry all the burdens we do. Our life is a marathon, not a sprint. Let go of every burden you have, whether it is for yourself or someone else. Do not allow others to throw their burdens on you. Entrust every heavy thing into the capable hands of the One who heals and restores. Breathe. Laugh. Enjoy the scenery. Remember who your traveling companion is. No matter where we travel, we are with the best partner in the world! He will make a way where there is no way!


"Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."  (Psalm 119:105).

My kingdom Go!

"I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ."
                                                                                                                               David Livingstone

     One of the things that Jesus wanted to teach His disciples was how to pray. Two forms of The Lord's Prayer are found in the New Testament ( in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke).
Jesus outlines seven petitions- the first three incorporate God and His honor and the last four petitions include our temporal and spiritual needs in this present life.

                                           "Our Father, who art in heaven
                                               Hallowed be thy Name.
                                            Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done
                                            On earth as it is in Heaven.
                                            Give us today our daily bread.
                                            And forgive us our debts,
                                            As we have also forgiven our debtors.
                                            And lead us not into temptation,
                                            But deliver us from the evil one."
                                                                                                  Matthew 6:9-13
   
     The first three petitions seek: God's glory, God's Kingdom, and God's will. When I reflect on God being glorified in all the earth and His will being accomplished, the centrality of the theme of God's Kingdom seems to be inferred. The Gospel of Mark says it this way, "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God."  (Mark 1:14).
     The apostle, Paul, also emphasized kingdom. While he was in Rome, scriptures tell us "Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern The Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." (Acts 28:30-31).
     Jesus also instructed us that kingdom is our first priority when He said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's Kingdom. It seems to me that when He declared, "Thy Kingdom come", He also inferred that my kingdom must go!
     A kingdom is defined as the spiritual realm in which God is The King. It implies the eternal kingship of God and the realm in which God's will for our lives is fulfilled. He is the ruler, and we, as His beloved children, are subject to His rule and reign.
     God's Kingdom is a monarchy, which is a form of government in which sovereignty resides within the triune Godhead. In order for God to truly be preimminent in our lives, all other forms of governance must cease. We cannot simply add God into our preexisting kingdoms- we must forsake all else and embrace only Him.
     When we humble ourselves, confess our sins, turn away from our sins by His power, and invite Jesus into our hearts,  we relinquish the authority of our lives to Him and then the Holy Spirit resides within us. The Holy Spirit then leads and guides us, as well as convicts us of the sins we need to confess. Many people view repentance as a negative experience but it is the most empowering tool God has given to us because He removes our sins and replaces them with more of Himself!
     Many believers live on this earth the way the nation of Israel did- that is, with a divided kingdom. Every moment we focus on ourselves, it is impossible to focus on God. A divided kingdom is one that is weak and ineffective, lacking the resources to have great effect or impact. A divided heart is even worse: it is unfaithful, unfruitful, unforgiving, and unfulfilled.

"Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11
"Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty." Hosea 10:2

     Because our culture is saturated with self-centeredness and is a "me" generation, we can miss many of the nuances of our own selfishness. The following are all one hundred and eleven words in our language that have the prefix of self:

self-abasement, self-absorption, self-abuse, self-acceptance, self-advancement, self-analysis, self-assurance, self-assured, self-aware, self- awareness, self-belief, self blanking, self-blood, self boot, self-complacent, self-conceit, self condensation, self-confidence, self-confident, self-congratulation, self-conscious, self-control, self-critical, self-deceit, self-deception, self-declared, self-defense, self-delusion, self-denial, self-deprecating, self-destruct, self-destruction, self-destructive, self-determination, self-distance, self-doubt, self-educated, self-employment, self-esteem, self-evidence, self-evident, self-evidently, self-excitation, self-fertile, self-fertilization, self-flattery, self-fulfilling, self-image, self-immolate, self-immolation, self-importance, self-important, self-imposed, self-improvement, self-incrimination, self-induction, self-indulgence, self-indulgent, self-interest, self-justificatory, self-kill, self-knowledge, self-love, self-made, self-mastery, self-muderer, self-organization, self-perpetuating, self-pity, self-pleasure, self-pollination, self-portrait, self-possession, self-preservation, self-proclaimed, self-promotion, self-realization, self-redress, self-reference, self-referential, self-reliance, self-reliant, self-respect, self-restraint, self-righteous, self-righteously, self- righteousness, self-sabotage, self-sacrifice, selfsame, self-satisfaction, self-satisfied, self secure, self-seeker, self-selection, selfname, self-similarity, self-slaughter, self-soar, selfstanding, self-starter, self-sterile, self-styled, self-suck, self-sufficiency, self-sufficient, self-support, self-talk, self-taught, self-will, self-worth

     Quite a lot of words we have in our language to talk about ourselves! Jesus, on the other hand, lived His life focusing on God's will and meeting the needs of others. His life was the perfect balance of relationship with His Heavenly Father and the extension of God's grace to those around Him who desperately needed it.
     As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are given the privelage of constant access to The Lord where we can exchange all things concerning self  ( fears, pride, needs, etc.) for the peace and assurance of His will being accomplished in our lives. When we put God first in all things, his Word promises that ALL our needs will be met. We can then focus on the main purpose of each of our lives which is the extension of God's Kingdom. Ultimately, we are all challenged with one question, " To what (or whom) will you give your life?"


"How great are His signs, How mighty His wonders! His Kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."                                                    Daniel 4:3