The Final Goal: Fragile Clay Jars
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
We ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. – 2 Corinthians 4:7
You might have been called many things in your life. But I wonder if anyone’s ever called you a “fragile clay jar”?
That’s what Paul, one of the Bible writers, said life is like for Christians. Christians are “fragile clay jars containing this great treasure [the good news of Jesus Christ]. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7). When people accept the truth of the Bible and start to
trust Jesus they should no longer live for themselves, but for the God who saves them (v.10).
So what about Christian footballers? Are they to be idolised for their skill, wealth and influence? This is what Ze Roberto, the Brazil left winger, has to say: “You shouldn’t look at us in this way. The only one who never sinned was Jesus. We are all human. We all sin but Jesus came for sinners. . . . Don’t look at people, look at Jesus.”
Ze Roberto seems to understand the reality of living the Christian life. No one is perfect, and we continue to do things which show we don’t trust God completely. But the role of the Christian, whether we are great footballers or simply spectators, is to point people to the Lord Jesus who died for us in spite of our sins. —Jon Lindsay
I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
—The apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13
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Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out (v.13).
READ: Leviticus 6:8-13
When you set yourself on fire, people love to come and see you burn. —John Wesley Savannah, Georgia, has always been a charming city. Throughout the downtown area, its graceful squares rest quietly with their shady well-established trees, intermittent park benches and surrounding historic structures. Walking through the squares never fails to evoke a sense of the past.
On a recent anniversary trip there, my husband and I went for a walk before heading to dinner. As we entered Johnson Square, we were drawn in once again by the silent—and yet captivating—statue of revivalist John Wesley. With people meandering around us, we wondered how brightly we were “burning.”
Revival. The word may evoke different images for each person depending on our spiritual backgrounds. As a movement, though, revival seems a bit elusive in our culture today. We pray for it in our churches, but what exactly are we seeking? Sadly, Webster’s Dictionary defines revival—with its consuming fires from a holy God—as “a period of renewed religious interest” or “an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings.”
When the Lord established His tabernacle, He gave clear instructions for the priests to keep the fires of the altar burning continually. The same instructions hold true for us. While we do not take wood to a literal altar, we are a “living and holy sacrifice” placed on the altar of submission (Romans 12:1).
Without question, revival cannot be generated by man but takes place as God pours out His Spirit upon us. As His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16) and His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), however, we are called to prepare and maintain the fire. Are we prepared? —Regina Franklin
Do you fervently pray for revival? Are you consumed with God? In what ways is God asking you to prepare your life for the fire of His presence?
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July 8, 2010
READ: Matthew 24:36-44
Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? —Matthew 24:3
News that a solar eclipse would take place on July 22, 2009, brought an alarming prediction. It was predicted that the eclipse would sufficiently affect gravitational pull, causing tectonic plates to “pop a seam,” resulting in a sizable earthquake and a subsequent devastating tsunami in Japan. The US Geological Survey responded that no scientists “have ever predicted a major earthquake. They do not know how, and they do not expect to know how, anytime in the foreseeable future.”
There have also been many false predictions about the date of Christ’s second coming—despite our Lord’s emphatic words: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matt. 24:36). Christ told His followers that instead of trying to predict the date of His return, they should “watch” (v.42) and “be ready” (v.44).
Peter warned, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief.” Then he added: “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:10-11 niv).
Striving to live for God—that’s what Jesus wants us to focus our energy on while we wait for that “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). —C. P. Hia
Look for Christ’s return, and you’ll live for Christ’s glory.
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