The Potter & His Clay

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you're doing it wrong!'
Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?'
~ Isaiah 45 : 9

A beautiful pot / vase or an elegant tea cup, all these come from a clay which go through tough and long processes.

What are those processes?
* The potter picked up a lump of clay from a giant pile of clay from the floor. By this time, he would already has an end design in mind.
Just like how God picked us up, chose us and prepare us. Even before we were born, He already had a design for our lives.

* The clay is then being patted and rolled. The potter will start pouring some water to soften the clay.
At first, we must receive the Word of God in our lives. It's about rebuke and learning. Don't harden your heart, but soften it just like the clay.

* The potter would put the clay on the center of spinning wheel, and keep it spinning while shaping it, taking out any rubble.
The clay on the centre represent our lives to be centered with Christ, so that God can start to shape our lives. While doing so, He will also picked out any mistakes or bad stuffs in our lives.

* The potter will then put the  shaped-clay into the oven and burnt it.
This is the process of sanctification. As our old-selves died with Christ, we are being purified. And believe me, this process is not as easy as it seems.

* After the process, the shaped-clay is then put on the shelf waiting for it to cool down. Then the potter would continue to brush and paint it.
God always wanted to test our patience. Could you wait? In the midst of waiting, remember that God would always put colors in your life. You would never be forgotten by Him.

* Then the potter would once again put the shaped-clay back into the oven. But this time, twice as hot as the first one.
God will only put us into the world when we are ready. The world is like a fiery furnace, keep on burning us, but make us stronger.

* The potter would take out the vase out from the oven and put it on shelf, for it to cool down. Then he will look at the vase and say, "You're beautiful."
At the end of the day, surely we would want God to say "well done".

Note from The Potter:
I want you to remember. I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.
I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted all over you, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long, because hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.

The journey of Christianity was never easy, but once you are in, strive to the end, for the result is always good.

The Salty Salt

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost it's flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless." - Matthew 5 : 13

I believe this verse is of no stranger to a lot of Christians. What does it truly means? Let's learn together today.

Few characteristics of salt:
1. Adds flavor
Without salt in the food, the food will taste bland. Even I wouldn't want to eat food that have no tastes at all. I would just get myself any sauce, seasoning to make the food tasty. And salt will be the most useful of all.
Surely, a Christian's presence must be yearned by others. Without him / her, people will just feel there's something lacking around them. Don't be a Christian that doesn't impact others, by living a "tasteless" life.

2. Acts as preservatives
Salt can be used to preserve meats, preventing it to rots or go bad.
A Christian must be the one who preserves everything that is good. Such as value of this society.

3. Causes thirst
A salty food will always cause people to have a sense of thirst. Remember how I always wanted to grab a drink whenever I ate foods that are too salty.
Likewise, a Christian must always causes people around them to thirst in their soul. Always looking for the Source of Life, that's God and His Words.

Remember what happened to the salt that loses its flavor, "thrown out & trampled". Don't let it happens to us.

How salt works? Keep on giving, without getting any rewards! People will always take from you whatever they can take. Until there's no more left, and you will be thrown away.

But, can we keep on giving? That there will be no end of us, no matter how much they take, it won't run out.

Pride Kills

... A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won. - 1 Kings 20 : 11

Pride! What a dangerous thing that is. And how often in life that we show how prideful we are? Well, might be unconsciously or even consciously. It will happens at some points in our lives. Let's take a look at what happen to the prideful.

He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. - Isaiah 26 : 5

Surely we wouldn't want that to happen in our lives, humbled and brought down by God Himself. So, what must we do? Take a look at few verses below.

Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from You. - Isaiah 26 : 12

Yes, the answer is simple: Always realize that everything we accomplished are from God.

Learn to be humble to be exact. I've always learn and still learning to live by this mindset: "Not a single achievement in life that doesn't come from God." If it's something that pleases God, surely God will see you through it. But remember, it always work in the timing of God.

Here is a brief story on 1 Kings 20:
King Ben Hadad of Aram besiege Samaria, demanded gold and silver, wife and children from King Ahab of Israel. King of Israel being unable to opposed King of Aram vast army, agreed to it. But King of Aram asked for more, he asked for everything valuable.

Why would he do that? He must have gotten too prideful thinking he can do anything with his army. And thus at the end of the day, he loses every battles against Israel.

Remember! Don't be too prideful of your achievement today, for tomorrow you might lose everything. But learn to be humble, knowing that every achievements are from God, through us and for others.

How God Uses Computer

Another great and inspiring short reading from a friend:

When God created you, He never uses COPY-PASTE.

He makes the SETTING of your life beautiful.

He Chooses to MINIMIZE your weaknesses and MAXIMIZE your strength.

Everything good, He INSERT in your life.

DELETE all your mistakes and SAVE your future.

He always brings you to the NEXT, and not BACK to your past.

Even SKIP when accidents almost hit you.

When you need Him, He provided HELP,

so that you may QUIT from your problems.

He always wait for your heart to OPEN and ready for Him to EDIT.

*My notes:
He created everyone differently, unique in its own. It's just amazing how He plans everything for everybody on this world. Well, sometimes we might ask; "If God plans everything good in my life, why am I having problems?" There's only 2 answers for that. It's either us go with our own plans or God wanted us to trust in Him and His power to brings us through. For our God is a faithful God.

It continuously reminds me of how God has shown His mercy in my life for the last 24 years. Even though I may not remember half of it, but if it isn't God, where would I be today? When I flash back on the things that God has done for me, I'm always grateful that He never ever did give up on me.

Shouldn't I repay God faithfulness with my faithfulness? And shouldn't you too?

Quick Secrets to Riches

A short and humorous message I got from my friend, I believe it would truly bless you.

1. Choose a rich parent (If you failed, see number 2)

2. Find a only child from a rich family to be your spouse (If it's too late, see number 3)

3. Buy a lottery (If you never won it, you got to use number 4)

4. Rob a bank or corrupt million of dollars (But you wouldn't dare to do it if you got conscience. And so, you must use number 5)

5. Study hard, work hard, earn your money legally (If you worked for 20 years and you are still a middle-class man, then you must and you must use the last resort, number 6)

6. Learn to be rich, learn to feel rich, be thankful of what you have till today, reduce your attachment from a devilish circle called "MONEY" (Then you will be rich, rich in your heart, free from worries)

The point is this: Be thankful with what you have, don't worry about what you don't have.

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." - Hebrews 13 : 5

A Good Soldier

"Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them." - 2 Tim 2 - 3


How to be a good soldier of Christ? Don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life!

Jesus did say in Luke 9 : 23, that everyone who wants to follow Him must deny themselves. It literally means we who want to follow Jesus, must let go of our old lives, bad old habits, those that are displeasing in God's eyes. Only then we can please God.

What is the prize for being a good soldier?

"This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is." - 2 Tim 2 : 11 - 13

Our God is a faithful God. If we follow His will and do things that please Him, surely He will also show His faithfulness in our lives. If you want the windows of heaven to be opened right above your head, you need to obey the Word of God and stay away from sin.

~ Being a good soldier is tough,

but the prize is definitely worth it. ~

The Thief Has Come

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. - John 10 : 10

Unlike your typical thief, there is none more professional than this one, the devil. He does his job sleekly that no one would ever realized how much they have lost. And when they realized it, everything are gone.

What are those things that the devil wanted to steal so much?

Happiness: The devil wants to steal away our joy
Faith: The devil wants us to doubt God
Foundation: The devil wants us to stand on an empty ground
Mercy: The devil wants us to be selfish and do not care for others
Commitment: The devil wants us to lose our determination
Peace: The devil wants us to live in emptiness

Certainty: The devil wants us to doubt our God-given salvation
Character: The devil do not wants us to grow in Christ
Holiness: The devil wants us to live an unworthy life before God

The devil will use the most vicious way to steal and destroy our lives. But it is different with Jesus, who comes to give life.

Are we losing our joy, faith, kindness, determination, character, commitment and holiness?

~ Realize Now, Before Everything Is Gone ~

In Pain?

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. - 1 Chronicles 4 : 10

How would you feel if your name means "PAIN"? That must be tough on Jabez ever since he was born. Branded as "the one who brings pain", nobody would ever wanted that. Despised, looked down, and I think he might get bullied by his classmates.

But Jabez was never been brought down by the situation. In verse 9 it says that Jabez was more honorable than any of his brother.

How did he do that? There are two verses that told us about the whole life of Jabez. Yet in the entire verse 10, it only tells us about his prayer.

He is a prayer warrior indeed. Look at his prayer, he asked for 4 things:
1. Bless me
He can't expect blessing from other people. Remember, they hated him. God's blessing will always be his comfort.
2. Enlarge my territory
This doesn't necessarily mean his land, but his heart & his attitude as well.
3. Be with me
 He is asking for God's protection, strength, and sufficiency.
4. Keep me from evil
 He's in a situation where he could have hated everyone, but he didn't. He asked God to help him go through every temptations.

All those prayer only with one purpose, so that he will not cause pain. And God just granted what he asked for.

So, my question is: "Have you prayed like Jabez today? A Prayer that comes from the bottom of your heart."