A story is told of a preacher who one day while walking in the wilderness came across some demons seated on a rock crying. Puzzled by this unusual drama, the preacher asked them, “why are you crying?” “It is because of the Christians,” said the demons. “What did they do?” inquired the preacher. “They blame us for things we have not done,” replied the demons.
As
amusing as this fable might seem to be, could it be that some times we
blame
the devil for the wrong choices they have made in life? It is no wonder
some “demons” don’t get cast out
even after
much prayer, fasting and binding. The reality is some of the
consequences we
face are not caused by demonic oppression, but are a result of unwise
choices
and decisions we have made. James
The carnal side of us never wants to take
responsibility for our own poor choices. We always want to blame others
and if
we cannot blame someone then we blame the devil. After
all, doesn’t it sound more spiritual to
tell others that you are dealing with spiritual warfare rather than
admitting
your mistakes? Think about it, when God confronted Adam for eating from
the
forbidden tree; he blamed his wife, Eve, who in turn blamed the devil.
God
wants us to learn to take responsibility of our mistakes. Admitting
your
mistakes or unwise decisions does not mean you are a feeble Christian;
if any
thing, it reveals your strength because it takes courage to own up.
It
is said, “life is a sum of decisions made
in the past.” For this reason, we must carefully make
decisions because every
decision leads to a definite destiny. Unfortunately, many people make
unwise
choices and still expect to get pleasant results. What they forget is
that making
choices is like sowing seeds; at some point, whether in ten or twenty
years,
the choices they made will eventually bear fruit.
In
God, there is still hope for us even when we have made wrong choices.
Apparently,
many people are stuck in the rut of guilt and condemnation for their
unwise
choices. You do not have you live that way and neither does God intend
for you
live in the guilt of yesterday. Zig Ziglar puts it this way, “regardless of your past, tomorrow is a
clean slate. You can choose what to write on the clean slate.” Don’t
let
the devil hold you ransom because of your past. God has a bright future
for you
and He wants to guide you in making wise choices in life.
It
is my prayer that this book will not just be another good book added to
your
collection, but you will take action in guarding yourself against
making wrong
choices in life. May you receive inspiration and revelation that will
change
your life to the glory of God.
PREFACE
In
today’s Christian ministry arena, there are great emphases on
developing
dynamic ministries. Seminars have been held, and volumes of books have
been
written addressing this subject. Although it is important to have a
dynamic
ministry, it is more significant to have men and women who are after
the heart
of God. The Lord is more interested in
building a relationship with believers more than in building His
Kingdom
through them. Therefore, every Christian should seek to become a vessel
of
honor who pursues to honor God with his life before honoring Him with
his
service. The Bible states that there are many kinds of vessels but not
all are
vessels of honor. “But in a great house there
are not only vessels of gold and silver,
but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
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” (2 Timothy
A vessel of honor is a person whose sole intent in life is to live for God and not for himself. This ultimate desire to please God drives him to seek an intimate relationship with God more than anything else he does for Him. He loves God for who He is and not for what God has done for him. The prayer of his heart is always for God to work in him before He can work through him, and as God gives him grace to minister to others, he uses every opportunity to glorify Christ alone. His agenda is to be an avenue through which God can dispense His love and grace to a world that is wounded and lost. A vessel of honor does not care for recognition or the praises of men; his delight is in taking the place of a servant in order to do the will of his Master.
As
Christians, we are called to live
passionately for God. The apostle Paul
attested to this call when he spoke to the elders of Ephesus, “I consider my
life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete
the task
the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of
God’s
grace” (Acts
20:24 NIV). Living for
God is the ultimate life that any mortal man can live. Therefore,
any one who desires to become a vessel
of honor should realize that God created you for His own purpose, and
that His
desire is for you to have a vision in life that is in line with His
divine
purpose. When you let go of your will
and let God’s Will be done in your live, God will mold and shape
you to become the
vessel of honor He intended you to be.
