Vessels of Honour: Celestial Treasures

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”- Psalm 51:10. Many of us have a skewed understanding of God our creator. In many instances we believe or are led to believe that in order to be used by God we must be pure and sinless. This tainted view undoubtedly also impacts our relationships we have with God. Having such a distorted view of God and what God demands from us oftentimes lead us into disobedience. The same is true concerning the weight of condemnation. It is for this reason why it is critical for us to spend time in the Word of God which is the Bible. We all need to know God for ourselves. We often make excuses to study the Bible, yet, we will spend hours on social media or hours gossiping people’s business. Nowhere is gossiping more pronounced than in the church. The church as we know it is not a place of honesty. Why do I say this? Oftentimes we turn to the church in our moments of weakness and vulnerability yet, the solace and compassion that we are expecting from the brethren is either not forthcoming or not pure and this is problematic. Pastors need to speak honestly about their struggles too. Many clergymen are struggling with same sex attraction even though they are happily married and have fathered children. Many in the church who hold positions of high offices are struggling with pornography yet they pretend all is well. Fornication and adultery are rampant too within the body of Christ. Yes, they sing on the choirs, they lead praise and worship, they teach Sunday or Sabbath School and yes, they speak in tongues. We have all fallen short of God’s glory, but redemption is always possible. The Word of God is crystal clear that judgment will begin in the house of God first. In 1 Peter 4:7, it says, for the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? The space we live in and operate is relatively small and we are not good at keeping secrets. So congregants know when you are fake. We all need to reach a place of spiritual accountability. This is a sore point in Christendom. We do not hold each other accountable and this plays perfectly into the game plan of the devil. We all fall occasionally. The pastor falls, his wife and their children all fall. However, how many pastors are honest enough to speak boldly and honestly about their struggles. Without a doubt the church should be a safe haven. Your guess is as good as mine. This hypocrisy is sucking the oxygen out of the body of Christ. Many youngsters and those not so young are afraid to approach their elders and speak openly on issues concerning sex, sexuality, mental health, courtship or just life in general. Suffering in Silence.. Depression is real and pervasive throughout the society. There is spirit of sexual identity crisis across the land. Many children have been victims of sexual grooming even by members of the clergy. Many of us as adults know of such instances, yet we remain silent under a cloak of ‘informa fi dead’ sub-culture, yet we profess Christianity. Woe unto those who find themselves in this category. There is a spirit of brokenness throughout the land. Families are broken. Marriages are broken. Our children continue to be abused by adults. We pray for forgiveness and ask that you heal our land. All strongholds can be broken with the Lord in the midst. Recently, a 12 year old boy hanged himself. There are no words of comfort to this family. Just image that at age 12 he saw no one he trusted enough to speak to. Our children are suffering in silence. Personally I know of a teenager who died as a result of suicide, he was only 17 years. The church needs to do a deep self introspection and implement or revamp their youth ministries in particular. Youth ministers must be approachable; this therefore means that in some instances some amount of additional training must be given to holders of such office. Such individuals must be confidential and after a while if you are not folks will find out. During my high school years we had a female guidance counselor who most of us did not see as a confidential professional. Many of us as students had issues but we worked it out by ourselves. In retrospect, this is unacceptable, but at the same time this was the perception the students had. In Christendom, we need to do better, especially those who are holders of offices within the church. Your integrity and character should be above reproach. If this is not fixed we are in trouble. On the other hand, the devil is always lurking close by and watches us gleefully as we wallow in our sinful state. The Bible is succinctly clear that we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity as a result that is not up for debate. “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”- Psalm 51:5. Two examples in the Bible can be referenced regarding how God used a sinner to bring across His word to the people. Many of us are aware of the conversion of Saul to Paul. The Conversion. "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, “who are You, Lord?”- Acts 9:1-5. Do you also find it intriguing that the first response uttered from Saul’s mouth was Who are You, Lord? Regardless of our current state of spirituality, the fact is many of us are aware that there is a God or Lord as is Saul’s response. Oftentimes, we feel as if we are too far gone from God’s presence that it makes sense to just continue living in sin. The devil is a liar! However, God clearly gave His only son Jesus to change that flawed narrative and we should let go and let God. Many of us have heard the voice of God repeatedly and we have ignored His voice. Perhaps, we view ourselves as unworthy to be used as a vessel of honour. 2 Timothy 2:21 says, therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. This Bible is powerful and oftentimes overlooked. Timothy was a disciple of St. Paul the Apostle, whom he accompanied on his missions. He is traditionally known as a martyr and the first bishop of Ephesus. The mentoring relationship that existed between Paul and Timothy is clearly depicted in the New Testament. A careful examination of this relationship as it progressed reveals Paul’s approach to mentoring Timothy as a minister of the gospel. This approach includes carefully selecting and training the right person for the job, equipping him/her for the tasks of ministry. Timothy’s name means “honoring God” or “precious to God.” There is no predetermined individuals who can become vessels for honour. Even in disobedience God will use that person for His glory.

Jonah. We all should remember the story of Jonah. God called to Jonah one day and told him to go preach to Nineveh because the people were very wicked. Jonah hated this idea because Nineveh was one of Israel's greatest enemies and Jonah wanted nothing to do with preaching to them! Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction of Nineveh and headed by boat to Tarshish. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. As soon as they tossed Jonah in the water, the storm stopped. The lesson here is simple once you are called by God there is no escape route. Jonah learnt this the hard way. God sent a big fish, some call it a whale, to swallow Jonah and to save him from drowning. While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Then, God had the big fish throw up Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh. Jonah preached to Nineveh and warned them to repent. The people believed Jonah, turned from their wickedness, and God had mercy on them. Symbolism of Vessel. A human vessel is someone who is willing to be used by God for whatever purpose He has in mind. The word vessel is often used in the Bible. A vessel can be a container such as a bowl or a jug, or either a ship or a boat. The biblical meaning denotes a person whom God calls and uses as a vessel. The metaphor of a leader as a useful vessel refers to a person that is receptive and obedient to the will of God. We all need to be in a state of perpetual preparation to be vessels. This means we must rid ourselves of that which is not of God. It is a process, a daily and purposeful denial of self and flesh. Our Emptiness Cannot Meet the Needs of Others. We all can be vessels in our own vocations. The teacher is a vessel for his/her students. The teacher is expected to inspire and motivate his pupils. The garbage collector is also a vessel. What would we do if the garbage collectors all went on strike? In our own space we are called to serve. The point is, some of us are called to serve at a higher or more spiritual level. In order to serve at that spiritual level Jesus instructs us to be filled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18); this is a conscious decision to allow ourselves to be filled. There are those who will argue that the Holy Spirit is a gift and as such not everyone will receive such a gift. Additionally, Ephesians 3:18-20 says, He wants us to “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Jesus wants us full to the brim because only then will He be able to “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Regrettably, not many of us are willing to spend time in the Presence of the Holy Spirit to receive from Him, let alone be filled to the measure of overflowing. We all need to pray for forgiveness as well as sanctify ourselves in preparation to become vessels of honour. Think on these things. “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.”- 2 Timothy 2:20—21. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo ©