Word in Christ

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:7). Eastern kings of ancient times used to store all their treasures in earthen pots. A crude tin lamp can cast a bright light and a tattered book can contain lofty thoughts  − in the same way these plain earthen pots became the bearers of precious treasures. This is exactly what it is like in the kingdom of God: plain fishermen became disciples; the bearers of God's treasures. Paul compares our lives to these earthen vessels in which we carry the glorious message of the Gospel of Christ. Life surrounds us with problems and obstacles, while Christ surrounds us with His glory. The earthen vessel is the image of human frailty and mortality, of fallibility, contamination and impurity, but it is also an image of the Potter's ability to recreate our lives with His hands, to the glory of God. When God calls us as disciples, we shrink back because we are so intense...

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Far too often God's Word is read haphazardly, even by His committed children. It is almost as if the Bible has become a good luck charm or just a document. Treating the Bible in this disrespectful and disconcerting way has not only impoverished the church, but has also resulted in spiritual shallowness in many believers. It is the direct result of disobedience and lack of discipline. The Bible is not an anthology containing interesting proverbs and speculative theological suggestions. No, it is God's Word, conveying a true message and it should be read in a disciplined, logical manner. It comes directly from God and His power emanates from it when it is fully understood. Amos R. Wells expressed it as follows: I supposed I knew my Bible, reading piecemeal, hit and miss, Now a bit of John or Matthew, now a snatch of Genesis; certain chapters of Isaiah, certain Psalms (t...