Clay + Water + Molding + Heat = Masterpiece

On the Potter's Wheel

Prayer:  Father, we trust You, we love You, but being on the wheel is painful, even dizzying at times. But please don't take Your precious hands off of us, which nurture and love us, as You mold and make us what You have designed. Please Lord, keep us close to You as we face the refining fires of life from season to season, that we may come forth as a vessel of honor - a masterpiece, for You alone.  In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.

"But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our Potter; 

And all we are the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8 NKJV

The Making of The Potter's Masterpiece:

• Water is applied again and again to saturate the clay. 
• Molding is possible, in the Potter's hands as He lovingly handles, forms and holds the clay.
• Heat (firing) is permitted to surround the molded clay - for a season. 
• With each heat firing of the clay, the image of Christ gradually begins to form, throughout the seasons of life - in the workshop.
• In perfect Love, a Christ-like masterpiece is completed, which for all eternity, will worship God - at the wedding supper.

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; 

for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life 

which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12 NKJV

Life Application:

• We allow God's Word, the Water, to daily saturate our hearts, renew our minds, and thereby transform our lives. 
• We grow in our relationship with the Potter, in the molding - where we learn His Presence, His touch...His voice. This, is the key step to making it through the next.
• In the surrounding heat of life's tests, trials and pain, we learn what faith in God really is, and it is strengthened. It's in this heat that we come to know the God of the Bible. (The longer I live, the hotter the fire seems to become! :>, what about you?).  
• By God's grace and mercy, like clay we DO come out of the heat more beautiful than when we went in.     

The Good News: 

*We're all in some important stage within the Potter's workshop.  

*Father God is with us every step of the process.

*Father has a unique vision for each life even before we were born.  

*The experiences in each life are NOT accidental, incidental or wasted; but are fully acknowledged and authorized by our heavenly Father.  

*Be encouraged, we'll come forth as 'much more' than pure gold - the Potter's masterpiece! 

"if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 

that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold 

that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, 

and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love." 

1Peter 6b-8a NKJV

All for Christ My Lord!

Theresa  

Let me know how we can pray with and for you. Come back soon, love much!

Photo (c) Bill Longshadow

Power and Strength are in His Name!

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
      The righteous run to it and are safe." 

Proverbs 18:10

Don't know about you, but I need to hear this faithful Word today and everyday.  It gets tough to remember that great power and strength for our journey is found ONLY, in the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Beloved, be encouraged and know that when we call on the name of the LORD, we are safe in His power and strength. 

As I write this I am listening to the song..."Jesus, I stand in awe of You, I'll let my words be few, Jesus I am so in love with You."  Wow, that song does comfort and soothe me so!

Are you weak in heart today?  Close your eyes and just say the name of Jesus over and over and in your heart.  Let His holy Presence fill you and renew your strength with His.

Would love to know how to pray with and for you beloved.  You can leave a prayer request in the comments section anytime.  Try to go to church on Sunday, OK?
  
We're having "Vision Day IX" at our church ...exciting stuff will be happening and you're invited!  May the Lord be fully pleased by our worship, exalted in our lives and pursued by us hour by hour!  Love much!

Our Peace is ultimately ...a Person

"For He Himself is our peace.."  Ephesians 2:14 (emphasis added)

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the blog!  I pray this finds you standing ever strong and encouraged in the Lord, even now...and forevermore. In Jesus' Name. Amen.  

As I prayed earlier this week, there was a burden in my spirit, that perhaps more of us are in a storm, on this journey, as devoted followers of our Lord Jesus.  So I asked Father to allow me to share His Words... at such a time as this.  

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you." John 14:27   

While in study, I found great encouragement and solace in God's Word...while struggling to allow His Peace to dwell and conquer in me, the enemies of peace.  I have learned that in order to grab on to and embrace the peace that only Jesus can give us, we have to let go ....of fear, doubt, bitterness and pain - the enemies of peace.  The energy it takes to hold on to these things, zaps us for embracing what Jesus offers us... His life-giving peace.  

Heartbreak, difficulties, distresses, heartache, hardships, otherwise known as storms - can either make us panic or they can make us pray.  Our storms all have purpose in our lives.  And they must all pass through our heavenly Father, to get to us.  Remember Job and how he trusted the Lord through his storms?  Well, the enemy still had to ask Father for permission to move in Job's life. (Job 1-2)

When (not if) these storms and trials make it to us...they are full of God's purpose and protection - a part of His plan for our lives.  Throughout scripture, we learn that faithful ones were tried and their faith refined; their testimonies frequently challenged and their walk with God, tested by various persecutions.  Beloved, we too are apart of this Master plan in Jesus Christ,

....our life experiences matter to Him, 

........our committed service to Christ makes the difference, 

............and our faith is being refined...one trial at a time.  

Let nourishment from Father's Word fulfill your every need; may it keep, comfort and strengthen your spirit now and always.  These verses ministered strongly to me (and I pray you) too:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  

These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, 

which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine 

and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  1Peter 1:6-7

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

And God is faithful; 

He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But

when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so 

that you can stand up under it."  1Corinthians 10:12-13

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. 

For what son is not disciplined by his father?

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  

Later on, however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace 

for those who have been trained by it."  Hebrews 12:7, 11

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But He said

to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  

Therefore, I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's 

power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in

weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  

For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2Corinthians 12:8-10

"His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,"  Nahum 1:3b

"Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me.

When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."  Psalm 94:17-19

Thank you for your faithfulness to Jesus...let me know how I may pray with you, it would be an honor and a privilege to do so!  God bless until next time....would love to hear from you, theresa