Tuesday 11 February 2014

WHAT KIND OF VESSEL? - 12/02/2013

Yesterday’s message was titled “GOD OF PURPOSE”. Today’s message is titled “WHAT KIND OF VESSEL?” as given by Pastor E. A. Adeboye in Open Heavens Devotional (Adeboye, 2014). In today’s message, we have been asked to memorise  2 Timothy 2:21“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.” and read 2Timothy 2:19-22. Our Bible in one year for today has been taken from Isaiah 34:1-37:13 and Psalm 37:1-20 (Adeboye, 2014).
The message is quoted below for our usual discussion:

“Vessels are simply containers. God identified His children as vessels in order to bring up one crucial fact about His dealings and workings on earth. The Bible in Psalm 115:16 says:
”The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
Because God has given the earth to men, in order to carry out His works on earth, He does not get it done without involving men, particularly His own children. The reason is, those in Christ are co-workers with the Father (Romans 8:16-17, 1 Corinthians 3:9). The heavenly resources by which the work will be accomplished will need to be carried or contained in us as vessels, not only as vessels but also as pipes or conduits. The purity of these resources, virtue, power and gifts of the Holy Spirit are highly essential if results as desired by God will be obtained.

Though we are God's children as believers, a component part of us is still flesh and blood. For this reason, we are called earthen vessels. The onus therefore is on us to make sure we keep this vessel pure, hence, the need to purify ourselves from all contaminants that could make us dirty. Our Bible reading for today reveals also that as vessels, the type of use we are put to will differ one from another. The interesting thing is that you are the one that determines the type of vessel you would be in the hand of God. What a great opportunity to become distinguished! It means I can become the most valuable vessel to God with all the honour that goes with such. Consider that for a mere slave who was sick, a centurion was ready to go all out to secure his healing. He had to plead with the Jewish leaders to appeal to Jesus to come and heal this servant. He did all this because this one servant was of immense value to him (Luke 7:1-10). Herein is the secret of what could make a difference between a child of God in whose life Mark 16:17 is a reality and another for whom it is not. Are you still meddling with sin, rationalising smoking, alcohol drinking, enjoying immoral thoughts and generally living in disobedience, and yet you wonder why you cannot pray to heal a headache? Mind you, if you do not desire to change, it means that God may consider using your life to send a message that teaches others why it is not good to live the way you live while claiming you are a child of God” 
(Adeboye, 2014)

Today’s action point is to prayerfully list out all the bad habits you know about yourself and determine to break them as you engage in serious prayers. Avoid factors that make you susceptible to them.


I pray that the Almighty God will empower us to deal decisively with  every act of flesh that will stop us from achieving our God-given results in Jesus Name, amen.  

Reference:
Adeboye, E. A. (2014) Open Heavens: A Guide to Close Fellowship with God, Volume 14, 2014. Nigeria: Open Heavens Media Limited.

12 comments:

  1. Help me oh Lord!

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  2. Thanks be to God Almighty and blessings upon his faithful ministers. Indeed our destiny is for us to determine! Through stedfast resolve we can put away besetting sins and by earnest prayers overcome break free from all filthiness. How sweet to receive total liberty from sin to walk with God in peace and undisturbed conscience! 58 Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

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  3. Help me oh Lord to be a vessel unto honor.

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  4. Father help me to be a vessel unto honor

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  5. Father pls help me 2 flee away from every beseting sin and also 2 be a worthy vessel cus its only our sins dat wuld kip us 4rm bein vessels of honour. Help me oh Lord

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  6. Father i hv re-dedicate my life unto u. Use me as vessels unto honour on this earth in Jesus name. Use me to move mountains.

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  7. Here I am, oh Lord! Please deal with every work of the flesh in my life, IMNJ.Make me a vessel unto YOUR honour alone.

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  8. King of glory Eternal rock of ages,i thank you my father and my God for answering prayer i thank you for your mercy that is re-new every blessed day ,Lord of lords i asked in the name that is above every other name i want to be use by you do not leave, make me to be acceptable in your Pavilion and make me to a vessel unto honor that will glorify your name and give me the burning desire to do your will to the end In Jesus mighty name.Amen.

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  9. Wow! This is truly awesome. I believe no matter how gracious and merciful God is, according to the bible passage, God still has a standard He wants all His children to live by. May God help us all. God bless you again Sis. Yetunde.

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