VESSELS OF HONOR

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself of the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, ready for every good work."  2 Timothy 2:20-21

 Statistics say there are 7 billion people in the world.  Each one of us has our own set of fingerprints and no two are alike. The Bible teaches us that the creator of the universe knows each of us by name and has numbered the hairs on our heads. You are special to God and he created you for a set purpose. It does not matter if you are an atheist or a believer; we are all clay in the Master's hand and there is a reason we are on planet earth right now. It is not a question of whether or not God will use you for his glorious plan but as he calls upon you throughout the years of your life what will he use you for.  Will you submit to a noble or ignoble purpose?

Silver, gold, and clay are all useless when they are first brought in from the field.  The original compounds are full of impurities that make the product unfit for use. The potter must refine it before it can be shaped.  Impurities must be removed and tempering agents added so it can be softened and kneaded.  The same process applies to us as we are refined and made ready in the furnace of life. Once we are formed into His desired design we are tried and purified to be ready for the function God wishes us to perform.  Some of us will crack and blister under the pressure of the furnace while the pliable ore, once fired, is virtually indestructible.

The world we live in is God's great house.  We are his vessels of silver, gold, wood, and clay that are displayed across the globe for a  noble or ignoble cause.  If we approach life with the attitude that how we act and what we say is insignificant we are not living up to our greatest potential.  To fulfill our God ordained role in life we must realize we are ambassadors, made in the image of God, destined to carry the light of the gospel everywhere we go. Let our zeal for the purpose of God prepare us for every good work. May each one of us live up to a higher standard and shine with the message of love, forgiveness, and hope that our savior, Jesus Christ, came into the world to proclaim.



     

DANCE TO YOUR OWN DRUM

Have you ever considered yourself a "square peg"? 

You know the type. The guy who spends his time trying to sneak into the crowd, too timid to speak up or stand out. He wants to look and act like everyone else so no one will notice he's different. The real issue with forcing your square personality into the bottomless black hole of mediocrity is fear. I realized this truth as I studied the children of Israel and their failure to enter the Promised Land. 

The key to their problem is found in these words: "And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight ." Numbers 13: 33. These men were not terrified of the giants they found living in Canaan because they were so big.  It was because the Israelites saw themselves as so small. Our mindset can become a bigger giant then life's obstacles. Whether we think we can or think we can't becomes our reality. The Israelites saw themselves as small and powerless so they imagined their opponents saw them that way too.

The same thing is true for you as a believer. If you are not strong in the Lord in your own sight, you need to change that.  Fill your mind with the word of God and start walking around like a spiritual giant. When you are a grasshopper in your own sight it will stifle your ability to fulfill God's purpose for your life.  Of all the spies Moses sent out to scout their new homeland, only two stood among the crowd with a fearless report. I imagine there were other square pegs among the spies, but the fear of not fitting in made them fall into the trap of negativity and insecurity.  God never intended to have His followers fit in or follow the crowd. Dance to your own drum. Square pegs were created for greatness.  Embrace your uniqueness and grab hold of your special purpose.

Once you realize your own value you will be able to achieve mighty things for God.
   

PRAYING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX

I refuse to settle for ordinary. 
Status quo Christianity has kept me safe and secure within my comfort zone long enough.  I want to reach beyond my limitations and feel God breathe something new in my spirit.
I believe He is calling me to a deeper level of faith.

 I'm talking about faith that makes people feel uncomfortable.  The kind of unworldly belief that prayer can raise the dead, give sight to the blind, and cause the lame to walk.
Jesus said "if anyone believes in me , he will himself be able to do the things I do; and he will do even greater works then these ,because I go to the Father."(John 14: 12).

I know it sounds crazy, but if we are willing to accept some of the promises in the bible why not reach out and tackle the things that challenge our view of normal. Unbelief is anchored in what is visible and reasonable apart from God.  It honors the natural realm as superior to the invisible......unbelief is faith in the inferior. God promises us that He will do exceedingly and abundantly above and beyond all we dare to hope, ask, think or imagine according to His great power that is at work in us. (Eph. 3:20) 

It is God's power, but it is done through us. If we can grasp the magnitude of this promise we should be daring in our faith and prayers. I have come to realize that Kingdom living and the amazing manifestations of God's power should be part of everyday Christian life.  Faith is not the absence of doubt; its the presence of belief.

I refuse to settle for ordinary.  I want to stretch my faith into new realms beyond my "highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams."





Quotes: Joyce Meyer/ Bill Johnson