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Opportunity to Change the Potter By Sis. Techie Rodriguez

Holy Week Recollection 2

Jeremiah 18:1ff

Opportunity - 'pagkakataon'

"Go down at once to the potter's house. I will speak to you further there." -Jeremiah 18:2

Pag-talima.

The Lord blesses those who obey immediately.

We cannot say 'Later', to the Lord.

All the faithful people in the Bible immediately obeyed the Lord.

Noah did not even know rain and flood, but he made the ark the Lord asked him to make.

The Lord is grieved every time we disobey.

Saul, though anointed grieved the Lord at his disobedience. The Lord regretted His decision.

Let us not create that opportunity for God to regret giving us the favors to our community.

Let us not lose the opportunity of the great favors. Sis. Michelle's prophecy of the Solomon's Anointing to the Lord's Flock is another opportunity.

Abraham, Noah, Daniel, David, Peter are examples of obey-ers

"I, the LORD, say: 'O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter's hand.' -Jeremiah 18:6

To permit defects or to re-make the pot, the potter has the choice.

God has the power to reshape nations and individuals according to His preference.

Our strategy is not to be mindless or passive but to be receptive on God's purpose. We must yield to Him. An unsurrendered life has many defects.

A surrendered life is an obedient life. We give to Him everything, our time, our talents, our treasures. Not by our own will.

When we become the cause of disorder in the Lord's work, there is an evil spirit ailing you. There is a problem with our relationship with God. Irregular prayers? Missing Bible readings? How can the Lord speak to us?

Our society today admires people who are assertive, have strong personalities, independence and defiance of authority. This develops to stubbornness, self-importance and even refusal to listen to God. If we let this go unchecked, it becomes a way of life. We become hostile to God.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction.

We correct one another.

Hard vessels will need to be smashed and broken, melt to be remolded. So let us remain soft, wet and pliable so that we may always be remoldable.

Do we always put our will the priority?

Remember the hardest vessel are dry. Dead. Insensitive. Complacent.

Let us turn to God now and ask for forgiveness. Let the Living Water, Jesus,  bring back our wetness and pliability that we may conform to His purposes. As the Potter sees a flaw in us, surrender so that He can re-form us.

What kind of vessel are we now?  

The Lord can transform what you are now and become a better, lofty, honorable vessel that gives glory to it's Maker.

18:11 Frame- mold, fashion. In this verse, frame evil.

Jeremiah 18 gives us hope and opportunity to change the potter's mind.

Disobedience mars the God's plans of greatness for the vessel.

Obedience is the true mark of love for God

2 Timothy 2:20ff

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 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.

We are instruments of God. Though we still have the gift of free will, but if we consider Him Lord and Potter, we don't have any privilege to say No.

Don't settle for anything less, be the best vessel.

Always 2 ends of vessels.

Vessels of honor or dishonor

Vessels of mercy or vessels of wrath. Romans 2:7-8

It's is the stubbornness of the human heart that causes the wrath of God.

When we are being washed, don't mess with it. Judas betrayed Jesus despite his company for three and a half years. His hardness of heart led him to betray Jesus.

Today, let us recall the times when we did not follow God that we missed God's blessings. Let us ask the Lord, to check on us today, to change our hearts (Ezekiel 36:26).