HE IS MOLDING US...!

Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape

one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers

and another into a pot for cooking beans? 

Romans 9:21

*A Potter is defined as a person who makes pottery*

*Pottery is defined as the art or business of a potter, which is making ceramics, earthen and stone wares*


Pottery Process
Start
Pottery is made by FORMING a clay body into objects of a REQUIRED  shape and HEATING them to high temperatures in a kiln (furnace or oven for burning, baking, or drying something) to induce REACTIONS that lead to PERMANENT, including INCREASING their strength and HARDENING and SETTING their shape.
 
In the pottery process, all sorts of properties are grouped together (according to the end product required) and used when making pottery. The properties and grouping leads to the end product's unique character. 
 
A very important aspect of  the pottery making is the wheel throwing. This is when the clay is pugged and wedged and centred on the pottery making wheel.   This is a very critical step as it is the foundation of the vessel that is made. The pot is only as TRUE and as STRONG as the CENTERING.   End.
 
When a potter takes a lump of clay, He knows what he wants to do with it. He knows whether He want to make a beautiful bowl or a trash holder.  
 
Just like a potter, God, who is the MASTER POTTER, is forming us into His required shape.  He does this by heating us through the heat of trials and circumstances - both good and bad.  These are meant to get a reaction of a complete turn towards Him in love and obedience.   When we do, we are renewed and changed permanently for the better.  We gain strength (spirit, mind and body), and become who God intends for us to be,.  
 
Also, like the potter moulding a ceramic ware, the most important element to God is for us to be in the centre of His will.  Without us being in the centre of His will, He cannot mold us correctly.
 
We make the job difficult (not that He has any problems) for God and make the journey of life a long and painful one when we are not aligned to and centred in God's will for our lives.   We usually do this by insisting on doing things according to our own plans, and having our way.
 
Daily, God is molding us through circumstances.  It is crucial that we are aware of this and Have faith in Him that He knows what He is doing.
 
When our circumstances gets a bit too difficult to bear and our faith begins to crumble and fall apart, here are some reminders about WHO the Master Potter, God is and what He is doing with and through you.
 
 

• POWER:  Just like the potter, God has ultimate power over us, the clay He is molding.  He can do anything He chooses to do. However, He wants us to love and obey Him out of our free will.

• PURPOSE: He is purposeful, which means he has aims, intentions and goals for us.  Through the molding process we must remember that God is working on on good plans way beyond our expectations. He knows exactly how He wants us to turn out.

• PLAN: God is a God of order and not of confusion as we read in 1 Corinthians 14:33, which reads "For God is not the author of confusion...."  His word already confirms that He has a plan for each and every one of us as declare in Jeremiah 29:11 which reads "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD...".  Thus, He works patiently with us to implement and manifest His plans in our lives, daily. 

• PATIENCE: He is a patient God.  He takes the time to teach and grow us to be spiritually mature as this is a life long process.  Even when we are old, we will still be learning.

• PERSEVERANCE:  In the process of molding a mold of clay, when the potter finds any imperfections, he  never throws the clay away, instead he starts the process of  'Wheel Throwing' all over again.  He will put the mold of clay back in the centre of the wheel and reshape it. This is what God does with us. He refines and keeps refining until we become who He wants us to be. He never throws us away.

• PERSONAL:  A potter does not make more than one ceramic vessel at at time. He gives all His attention to that one mold of clay until is is in perfect shape and condition. It does not lump it together with all other molds and shape them into a big mash of vessel.  God does not clump us all together in one big lump to mold.  He molds every one of us individually, paying attention to the specific requirements and outcome He has for us.

I encourage you that whatever you are going through, good or bad to wholeheartedly trust the Master Potter's hands on you.  He is molding you to become that which He has created you to be.

I encourage you to be willing and obedient so that you are right there in the centre of God's will, where He has the perfect opportunity to mold to be that which He created you to be.
 

Much Love, Remi Banjo
*pictures by google*

BSL TRANSLATION

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REFOCUSING YOU... !

The Lord has given you trouble and sorrow as your

food and drink. But now you will again see the Lord,

your teacher, and he will guide you. Whether you turn to

the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying,

"This is the road! Now follow it." 

Isaiah 30:20-21 

  

God's desire is for us to have the best of Him and He is committed to helping us follow specific road maps leading us to it.  He has designed a specific pathway for each and every one of us and along the way, specific things for us to do. 

However, the truth is that we are sometimes as stubborn as the children of Israel that we don't see, hear or sense His leading, or teaching, not to talk of following His instructions.  Now because God's will for our lives is bigger than us and the fact that other lives are dependant on its manifestation, God will sometimes introduce certain situations to get our attention and bring us back on the right path. 

God will use the appropriate circumstance or event (pleasant or painful) to get our attention, and bring us back into the realms of His will.

Here are some ways He may use to get our attention:

• A Restless Spirit: Sometimes we will find ourselves restless from deep within.  It is feeling we mostly cannot understand or identify why it is there.  We can't focus, eat, sleep or think straight, we are just restless for no reason, it seems. The best thing to do at this time is to pray and ask God what He is trying to teach or show us.  Usually when this happens, He is trying to move our attention towards something. We will do well and save ourselves a lot of sleepless nights when we pay attention to a restless spirit within us.

• Unanswered Prayers: I can testify to this one and I am sure most of you reading this can. Think about it, you fast, pray, roll on the floor, shout, jump, scream, quote and support it with scripture, yet, the prayers are not answered. Yes, it can be extremely confusing and frustrating right? Everybody who takes God and prayer seriously must deal, sooner or later with the problem of unanswered prayer.  This is a hard one, however God is sovereign and every unanswered prayer situation is different and He helps us accordingly.  Some of my thoughts and how God has helped me with these are: I was praying for selfish reasons as explained in James 4:3, which reads "You ask and do not receive, because you ask(A) wrongly, to spend it on your passions.", I prayed, yet did not have absolute faith that I received what I prayed for.  There was the nagging feeling of "what if and buts and maybe", just as explained in Matthew 21:22, which reads "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”. I had iniquity in my heart which I either knew or did not know about as explained in Isaiah 59:2, which reads "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear."   It could be also be other things such as praying for something genuine, but at the wrong time. When we pray it is important to ask God to help us understand how the answer or non answer fits into the greater scheme of things, the live of others and His Kingdom.

• A Spoken (audible) Word: God sometimes uses the words like He gave a messages to Samuel and to Eli the priest as we read in 1 Samuel 3:4-18.  A good way to know that God is speaking through other is when quite a few people, within a short space of time are saying the same thing which connects to a burden or a prayer in your heart. 

• Unusual Blessings:  God sometimes blesses us in unusual ways  which is meant to turn us towards Him. He shows us kindness love, even when we least expect it. It should encourage us to praise and thank Him and use it for His glory. Romans 2:4 explains it so well, it reads "You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?"

• Disappointments: Is that a sigh I heard ripple through blogsville?.  Yes, we can all relate to this one right?  Just like He did with the children of Israel many years ago, God uses disappointments to bring some of us back to repentance, and back into the fold of His will.  Setbacks are meant to keep us from walking into a future we have mapped out for ourselves, as opposed to God's.  An example we find in the bible was when the children of Israel refused to follow God's command to take possession of the promised land. God judged them through disappointment for their unbelief and disobedience, to bring them to repentance and turn back to Him.  This we read Numbers 14:27-32 and the reaction of Israel when they realised their wrong is recorded in Numbers 14:39-40,  (please read for completion). They became remorseful, repented and turned to God in obedience.

• Financial Troubles: In Judges 6-17, we see how God brought judgement to the children of Israel through the Midianites. It was only when God took away all their material belongings, did they cry out to Him.  You see, they were dependent on and trusted in the riches they had and had no regard for God. What are we dependent on and trust in?  Our 'things' or God?.  When our trust is invested in the blessings of God (cars, houses, fame ) rather than the one who blesses - God , to refocus our priorities, He might take them all away.

• Tragedy, Sickness and Affliction:  I have learnt that in this life, tragedies will come, whether we like it or not. However, I have also learnt to regard them as a reason and opportunity to get even closer to God.  Romans 8:28,"We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose...". Tragedy, sickness and affliction, when we endure, we realise that God will eventually worked it out for our good and for His glory and it brings us closer to Him.

God will use the above and more if required to get our attention and bring us back on the right path if we have strayed.  God knows exactly where we are in our journey of faith. He knows when we start straying away from the path, and He will do whatever is required to put us on the right path.

God is such a good God that even the adversity He might allow is limited, just like He did with Job.  God allowed Satan to persecute Job, but limited him not to hurt or kill him. Job 1:12 and Job 2:6 - (please read for completion).   All He does is for our own good.

I encourage you to stay strong, and be assured that whatever you might be going through, God is right there with you. Stay focused and alert. If you notice any of these things patterns (or others),  happening to you time and time again, pause and ask "Lord what are you trying to tell, show or teach me at this time".  He wants to tell and show you all the good things in store for you.   

He wants to see His will come alive in you; He wants to make a beautiful and glorious testimony out of the very makings of you. 


Much Love , Remi

***pictures by photobucket***

BSL (BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATION)

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