Christians...are you a broken vessel?

Hello there :)

I have a different take on this matter of being a broken vessel. A vessel being broken has to actually have a purpose for being this way. Brother Paul speaks of the Lord's strength being made perfect in our weaknesses ( 2 Cor 12:9). Does being a broken vessel mean that we are not able to be useful in the Lord's hands?

Many times it takes us being weak, where we have run out of our own steam, strength and natural efforts,to recognize that we NEED God as our supply. The Lord never intended that we try to live out this christian life based on what we can do. He is our sufficiency (2 Cor 3:5), our Supply( Phil 1:19), our Strength( Eph 6:10). It is only by His grace, by His Life being our power, that we are able to live the life that He has paved for us.

I just quickly want to consider a special broken vessel. This one, not a clay pot , but one made out of Alabaster ( Matt 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37). Outwardly this flask is so beautiful to look at, it has no lid to unscrew or remove in order to get to whats inside it. The only way to get what is inside of this Alabaster flask is to break it. Because what is inside is so valuable. So precious. Its fragrance is sealed in. Once you break this flask, there is no going back, all the nard will be released and its fragrance is well worth it all.

This inner value is called Nard. An ointment which has such a lovely fagrance that it fills the whole house.

John 12:3

" Then Mary took a pound of ointment of very valuable nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment"

There was one such account in the Bible and a special woman, who was quite the sinner, who stole an opportunity to anoint Jesus Christ with the contents of this alabaster flask.

To everyone one else around her, witnessing this scene, there were so many reactions. Some thought that she was crazy to " waste" this nard on the Lord, when that money that could be gotten from its sale could feed the poor ( John 12:5). Some saw her, as a person who was such a sinner,that if the Lord knew what kind of woman was touching Him. if He were a prophet (Luke 7:39), that He would think twice before letting her anoint Him.

But what does the Lord see regarding this woman and her broken alabaster flask containing the precious nard? He sees someone who saw that being broken was the only way to get to release something of great worth.

Here is that the Lord said concerning her tribute.

Matt 26:13

"Truly I say to you, WHEREVER this GOSPEL is proclaimed in the WHOLE WORLD, what THIS WOMAN has done SHALL BE TOLD as a memorial of her"

What did she see.

She saw that the contents of this alabaster flask was the best that she had to anoint such a One of Peerless Worth.. her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This One who forgave her the most, that as a show of her love and her faith, she loved Him back the most, by stealing a golden opportunity to anoint Him before His Burial a few days later.

I tell you dear one, we are each an Alabaster flask, this vessel containing a precious treasure. One brother, Watchman Nee wrote a book called" The breaking of the outer man and the release of the spirit"

Its amazing book in its rich content, because it shares that our soul, with the mind, will and emotion, can be likened to this Alabaster Flask, yet what is housed deep within our being, the deepest part of us is our spirit where the Lord as the Treasure dwells. Sometimes our soul,with the Self and Soul life is so stubborn, so hard, not wanting to endure any kind of suffering or being broken. He shared that for us to be broken as believers is such a valuable thing in the Lord's eyes.. because finally the Lord as this rich ointment, this nard of great worth can be released.

The Lord needs to take us through all kinds of situations to deal with the outer man, our alabaster box. Our Will is strong for things that WE want. Our emotions are erratic and not always given to love the Lord and have Him as the First and best love. We tend to value other things, persons more than Him. And our mind is always struggling between being set on the flesh or on the spirit ( Rom 8:6). There is always this war being waged. Its our natural inclination to take out the Alabaster flask and polish it, admire how lovely it is, yet, what makes this flask valuable is its rich inner content, not the flash in itself. Without the Lord in us, we are sinners most wretched.

But the Lord bids us to come to Him. Be like Mary who sat at His feet, hearing His words of Life. Learning what is HIS choice.. His preferences, His tastes and desires. Then she rose up to break the alabaster flask and anoint the Lord.

Many times the Lord is like a prisoner in our spirits. We give Him a way to be released only at certain times, but not always is the Lord free in our being..Too often, the Self, the Soul Life, the Flesh, the Old man, the Natural man, and the enemy are the ones who have most of the rule in our being.

Going through our times of breaking has to be with a VIEW. If we go through things in our lives with no view of the outcome, then opportunity after opportunity will be wasted. We come away from those experiences with No deposit and weightiness of the Lord in us...We end up a double looser and this breaks the Lord's heart.

May we embrace our sufferings and times of being weak to the point where we surrender to the Lord and say" Lord Jesus..I cannot do it.. take over Lord.. I just want to abide in You because apart from you I can do nothing ...Lord I want You to have free control over my whole being...I want You to be released as this sweet smelling fagrance that fills the whole house... where the Perfume of Christ is so evident, where I decrease that He may Increase.. that it will no longer be I who live, but Christ who lives in Me... Lord take my broken vessel and be released from me... spread into all my mind, will and emotions.. transform and renew me daily.. I want to behold You, reflect You as a mirror and be conformed to Your image from glory to glory.. Work on me Lord., I open myself to You today, I break my alabaster flask afresh... I take Your grace to go through whatever You put in front of me to carry out... through it all Lord Jesus... in the end.. I want to be a duplication and reflection of YOU.. Be glorified in all the brothers and sisters Lord Jesus.. amen!"

This is my prayer for myself and for all my brothers and sisters today.

Ty for posting this great Question

In Christ

sandy

For a free online copy of this book.. go to this site.

It is book number 5 and can be enjoyed just by clicking

http://www.ministrybooks.org/watchman-nee-books.cf...

A song that speak of this experience

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=lb&n=1

Sorry, cannot open the video. But yes, when we as Christians are weak, His strength is "made perfect". Some here on the R&S may misunderstand what it means to be a "broken vessel". This is an idiom for one who is willing to acknowlgde their inseificiany, and yeild themselves to the suffiencesy in Christ. Like the childrens songs says...

"Little ones, to Him belong. We are weak, but He is strong. Yes Jesus loves me.

Yes Jesus loves me.

Yes Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so."

God bless.

Elder Greg

(((SFCU)))

Vessel Definition In The Bible

If you will read God's word instead of christian mythology you would never feel weak or broken.. Get a copy of Conversations with God at your library and discontinue accepting Mythology.. God bless

Paul said, CLV Php 4:13 - FOR ALL [things] am I strong in Him Who is invigorating me--Christ!

This means in all things Paul was made weak inorder to be made strong in those areas also.

1

We are images of God, so we cannot really be weak. We are strong by being His beloved children.

No.

To rely on God for strength is to make yourself weak.

You are gaining support from lies. There is no support.

Get over your invisible crutch.

The last thing the world needs is an emo christian.

Stop complaining, and do something about the way you feel.

God wants you to shut the hell up and go commit some sin

Yes, through our weakness, He is strong!!!

He is the keel and we are the ribs.