the MASTER POTTER is molding his clay

As the Master Potter molds the clay, it becomes what he has imagined it to be. The clay knows not what it shall become, but the clay knows it has a purpose. The Potter has already seen the outcome of his unfinished works. The clay must endure the bending, stretching and cutting off of those unwanted pieces. As we look in the mirror of our life, we tell ourselves, If I had done this or if I had done that five, ten, fifteen years ago my life would be different. I have often found myself looking in the mirror telling myself these same things. The shadow of doubt cast itself upon you and the voice of fears settles in your eardrums. Temptation blinds the path that you desperately desired to travel and the wheel of time won't slow down, it keeps on rolling and rolling. You tell yourself you forfeited your chance in life to live it to the fullest. I am here to tell you to unbuckle that seatbelt of if I would've, if I could've that's restricting your movement in life and grab hold of the cross of Calvary. It was at the cross, at the cross where we first saw the light of hope, the light of success in our lives. It was at the cross, at the cross as the Son of God hung there and looked down upon you and me and said, this I do for you. Take hold of the life God has ordained for you. It's time to apply your gifts and talents; work with dedication and self-discipline for the Lord. It's time to use your faith to change the season that you are in. You say, Minister Foster, I've lived my life, I'm old, worn and torn, what can I do? I heard a young person say that they were just a babe in the word. Well I ask this question; If not me, If not you, then who? God does not love him no more than he loves her, God doesn't love Pastor no more than he loves me. I heard someone say, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frighten us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God!!!" Romans, The book of Romans says you are conformed to the image of his son. Romans 8:29 "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." The poet says, "Sow a thought and reap an act; sow an act and reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." All I'm saying is that your life is in God's hand, so why are you walking around singing nobody knows the troubles I've seen. You have God's grace, it's a free gift. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace, to help in time of need." God's grace helps us overcome sin, fear, doubt, lack of, grace causes you to live a triumphant life. At times you get delayed and you start to feel denied. In this life we live, if a turtle races a rabbit, that rabbit will finish the race first, we know that, but in God's arena that turtle has an advocate, someone on his side, stay with me. The rabbit has gotten full spiritually so it's running. What I am saying is that you have gotten full spiritually, she has gotten full, he has gotten full and you are telling this one about God and you are living a purpose filled life and here comes the turtle creeping down the race track of life, where have you been? I got delayed back there, by this and that distraction. My message to the turtle, don't stop running, don't look to the right of you, don't look to the left of you, look straight ahead. Ecclesiastes 9:11 "I returned, and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift,(go ahead rabbit with your fast self) nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." What are you trying to tell us man of God? It may not happen today, it may not happen tomorrow but it's going to happen, if it hasn't happened already. God has given us all a cross to carry and it gets heavy to carry, but she is toting her cross and running ahead of you, he has his cross toting it and he is out of sight but keep running. Lift up your eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh your help and my help. That turtle mentality says, its taking me to long I gotta do this in my own strength. You have an advocate, one who is on your side, the Prophet Isaiah called him the root of Jesse, some was sheep without a shepherd, but a Nazarite taught them the word of God and fed them. I call him the Lily of the Valley, he is known as the Great I Am (Jehovah), he is El Shaddai (God Almighty), he is Elohim (Supreme). He is the Potter, and when we describe the essence and origin of man, we are created from the dust of the earth, we are the clay of the earth that is being molded in his image. The Potter molds clay. Pottery is defined as vessels or other objects manufactured from clay and hardened by fire. As the Master Potter continue to observe the clay, his unfinished man of God, as he observes the unfinished woman of God, here come the haters, the finger pointers; I remember when he was this, and I remember when she was that but the Master Potter has his eyes on the clay and conforming it to his image, he looks to his Angels and says, "But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him." There is unfinished business, the Master Potter is still working on you. You may start fast like the rabbit and along the highway of life you trip, or run into obstacles. I know I have, we may be dealing with uncomfortable situations in our lives, such as hardships, death of a loved one, sickness, financial struggle and he say this and she say that about you. The Master Potter is bending his clay, the Master Potter is cutting off unwanted areas in your life. The Master Potter knows when you were in your natural state, you were unfit for use, he also knows while preparing the clay, while preparing your life, several stages must take place. Websters dictionary says, the clay was mixed with water then sifted to remove stones and larger particles. This was accomplished with the use of settling basins, and a series of refining pits that gradually produced finer grades of clay, straw, sand, shell or pulverized potsherds that were often added to the clay. These ingredients minimized shrinkage and helped to prevent cracking of the vessel during the drying or firing process. As I read that definition the words refining pit stood out to me. The refining pit is used during the final stages of the refining process to recover precious metal. We all know the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. They knew what the King didn't know, that the Master Potter (God) was still bending and stretching them, they must have known that being in the fire was the final process of being refined, because they came out of the fire as precious gold! They came out with an ingredient they didn't go in with. I can hear them singing; sticks and stones may break my bones but that fire will never hurt us. When I read Daniel 3:24, "then Nebuchadnezzar the King was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto the counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? they answered and said unto the King, true, O King. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt", let me say that again, and they have no hurt, " and the fourth is like the Son of God." I don't know about you, but I see something in the fire. Fire will cause you to do and say things you don't want to. The Prophet Jeremiah said, "I can't hold my tongue, but his word was in mine heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones." What I am trying to say is that fire is necessary in our life. When the Potter raises the temperature on the fire to a certain degree, all the material, and elements are being pulled together to strengthen the clay. The Master Potter has put inside of you a Prince, a Princess, A King, or a Queen. There is so much potential in you. The hotter the fire the more blessed you are. After you have come out of the fire, the Lord shows up and shows out in your life. The midnight hour passes, it's a new day. I heard a song and the writer said, "Birds flying high, you know how I feel, Sun in the sky, you know how I feel, Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel, It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life and I'm feeling good." Now that's the feeling of a person who has come out of the fire. When you come out you gonna tell someone, you will dance, your gonna sing. You will find purpose in your life, God will show you your purpose. Jesus Christ of Nazareth gave the disciples their purpose in Matthews 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." You say whats my purpose, we were created to make manifest the glory of God that is within us, to let our little light shine before the world. To run with beautiful feet with the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 2 Corinthians 4:7, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." We have God controlling the potters wheel of our life, we were formed in his image, created for good works, there are times when we don't know which direction the bending and the stretching will take us. Proverbs 3:5-6' "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." The Potter has your life in his hands. I leave you with this people of God. In todays time when we hear the word fire we think of destruction but that's not the fire I'm speaking of. I am referring to God's fire, one that renews the mind and the spirit and draws you nearer to him. No matter how small or large the fire in your life may seem, hold on to God's unchanging hands and allow him to work through you, don't quit, don't be discouraged and don't lose sight of the great plans that the Potter has for all of us. written by: Anthony Foster