The Potter and The Clay
Today I continue to ‘lean into God’ directly as a result of a number of positive sermons and want to thank the church for their encouragement to do this. I have felt positively motivated by recent services to pick up my bible again and invite the Holy Spirit into my life. Specifically on the 21st May 2023, we examined the gifts of the Spirit and this caused a real electric buzz amongst church members, including myself. If you weren’t there, can I recommend you revisit this service from 21/05/23 on-line.
As the song (“Build Your Kingdom Here”) says, we do hunger and we do thirst, asking God to unveil why we are made. If we share God’s presence in action in our lives and want to get a message to our brothers and sisters this blog is the start of a movement to ensure real Godly encounters are not missed or overlooked in any way. I must stress awareness; if we want to remain safely in our own bubbles, we shouldn’t expect God to act and move amongst us. If we ask God to rain down in our lives, we should prepare to get wet!
I am developing a gift whereby I think and pray on something and then turn to my Bible, it opens unnaturally on relevant scripture and God speaks directly in text and scripture about a person or situation. I believe this reinforces that it is not coming from me, but from God, though it does sound a little weird as I type this fact! This isn’t a suggested style of reading for everyone of course – we need to be careful to test that what we think God might be saying is valid, perhaps with other Christian friends.
However having sung and prayed many times “set your church on fire, awake the kingdom seed in us” , it would appear God is listening! I do not fully appreciate my gift and I tend not to use it fully, as I can sometimes feel like an “idiot for God” and I can rock the boat! I want to reinforce to you 1 Corinthians 12:4, ‘there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works in all of them, in all people’. Do not limit what you can achieve and what God can reveal. Gifts given to God’s children in a personal encounter, to bring a unity to the church, to reach our full potential, to grow together.
The evidence: at the beginning of July, I turned to my dusty Bible. As I mentioned, I had not picked it up for months and the pages fell open randomly to Luke chapter 1. I was moved and found myself reading about how the angel Gabriel appeared, speaking with Zechariah and then with Mary. I found myself then noting specifically Luke chapter 1 verse 45 “blessed is he/she who has believed that what the Lord has said to them, will be accomplished”.
Later the same day I was driving around whilst working, overwhelmed by the encounter of what I had read. I prayed for my own angel to appear, wondering about the possibilities and in prayer thought about how I might react if I met an angel and what were the questions that I might be asking… Why did this happen? Why do this? Why do that? Why me? What are your plans for my future? What shall I do for God right here right now to help myself more and help others? What if I denied it like Zechariah - would I be muted?
Filled with the Holy Spirit, within seconds my brain responded to my own questions in scripture. Isiah 45:9-10. Saying; “Remember… it is not for the clay to ask questions of the pot maker!”
As I continued to drive…. it was then highlighted to me in thought, that we are all ‘angels’ to someone else who is in need of an Act of Random Kindness (ARK). Reminding me that an ARK, either big or small can occur in our every day. I felt that God was saying “We are God’s angels on earth to someone else in need, ambassadors for Christ”.
As I continued to drive, I turned a corner having to reverse my car to manoeuvre. I was shocked to see what was in front of me and immediately took a photograph of what shone in the darkness. I ask you, was this a coincidence?
In every possible way, all authority is His. He says it himself – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” God reminds us of this through Isaiah: Woe to him that thinks he knows better than God. The clay doesn't question the work of the potter, it just enjoys its existence. We are under construction, so please enjoy your existence!
I want to add to this story by highlighting what happened the following day. This is about becoming more aware of God’s presence around us. As I sat on a bench discussing my email to church with another person on this hot day, a PCSO community officer walked past us and into Morrisons shop. The PSCO in full body armour walked by, red faced, entering the store door and two women walked out with a box of ice lollies. These women stopped the PCSO and gave the PCSO one of the ice lollies. The PCSO took off her hat, and they chatted and then the PCSO turned around and left the store with these two strangers. After a while eating her iced lolly, the PCSO walked away from this store shouting out “Thank you, you are my angels!” I mention this as I believe it ‘coincidently’ reinforced what I was saying earlier about angels in this blog.
This blog is designed in order to share what God is saying directly to us when it is said. Any delay in spreading the message for whatever the reason, is not timely, as God’s messages are to be given out to share the good news immediately. God is in control.
We know that a healthy church is one where everyone plays a part, desiring the spiritual gifts for anyone who has faith. We are all part of one body with many parts, all important as we move forward in the Spirit. Let your kingdom come and let your will (not our own) be done, Amen.