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MORE THAN POTS

By Cesar Contreras Leave a Comment

I’ve been living on my own for almost two years now, and one of the hardest yet rewarding things I’ve learned how to do is cook. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I’ve evolved from cereal artistry to legitimate home cooked meals. Honestly, the hardest thing to learn was understanding when to use certain herbs and spices for certain meals (although apparently you can’t go wrong with using cumin for everything). And I’ve had my fair share of dishes that simply had too much cumin or paprika. When creating a meal, every spice has a purpose, no matter how little or how much is used in preparation of the dish each spice heightens the flavor of the dish to make a masterpiece of a meal.

Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Like the spices used in a dish, we were all made for a purpose, and to love and serve God in different ways.

In Isaiah 64:8, the prophet Isaiah makes this declaration to God: “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

One can look at this verse and just say, “See? God is the pot maker and we are simply the clay that God uses to make pots!” This is only part of the whole truth. Scripture makes an even larger statement than the fact that we’re clay pots made as utensils for the work of God, we also find that God, our Lord, is also our father and we are the father’s handiwork – which ultimately implies that we belong to God, we are cared for by God, and we have a purpose in God.

We Belong to God

We cannot hide from the significance that comes from understanding that we are the clay and God is the potter. It directly and conclusively means we were created by him and thus belong to him, not in part but in whole. Psalm 100:3 informs us that not only do we belong to God, but that we are the sheep of his pasture. I’m not calling us animals, but the metaphor that the psalmist is using here reveals to us that if we are sheep then God is our shephard and that means that God loves and cares for every single part of who we are. He will and does everything in his power to care for us and to sustain us. This allows us to delcare these powerful words that we find in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Now, one of the reasons that we are recpients of such immesuareable love is because God created humanity in his own image (Genesis 1:27). God branded us with a seal that holds such beautiful weight. He set us apart from all the other pots and pieces of creation. God left a personal touch on our souls that no other creation can possess.

In Matthew 22 we find one of the Pharisees asking Jesus if they should pay the Roman government taxes. Jesus asks for the coin and says some of his most famous words, “Therefore [give] to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). While there are many interpretations of this passage, personally it seems that because the image on the coin was that of Caesar’s and as such it would make sense that Jesus would say for the people to give that back unto Caesar. The Pharisee seems to have been caught off guard though, as I would have been, because there is no follow up question. However, if I had the gumption to try and stump Jesus after receiving that public smack down, I would have snidely asked “And what belongs to God?”, and Jesus might have responded with “Who’s image is on you?”. Therefore, we’re not just simply God’s creation, but we’re image bearers called to further God’s kingdom and this seal declares to the universe that we completely belong to the All-Powerful King: Jesus. We are no longer bound to sin and death and need not fear that anything would separate us from him. As I already mentioned earlier through Paul’s letter to the Romans, there is absolutely nothing that will ever separate us from God’s love and this is always true because no one can take us from our Almighty God.

We are Cared for by God

Isaiah reminds us that God is not just our Potter, but is also our Father. The love of a parent to their children is permanent. The Bible is peppered with verses that describe God’s love for us as steadfast, sacrificial, patient, unshakeable, compelling, gentle, gracious, and compassionate.

Just like a potter uses clay to create works of art with their own unique properties, remember, we are the work of God’s hands or as Ephesians 2:10 tells us, we’re God’s workmanship. The work of the potter takes time, intention, precision, care, patience, and love. The potter has to perfectly move their hands along the edges to make sure everything is smooth and even. The potter must carefully dry the pot and paint it to finalize their masterwork. If an average potter goes through all that trouble for a clay pot that can be easily chipped or cracked, how much more care would the Master Potter; the God of the universe, put towards his children who are his image bearers?

We may fail and struggle, but God isn’t going to throw you aside the moment you mess up. God cares for you and desires you because you are his work of art and you are his child. So, if we know that our Potter is in complete control and cares for us, should we not then approach loving and serving God with excitement and joy?

We Have a Purpose in God

We are created to praise, worship and serve God and others in love, but it’s important to recognize and memorize why we should desire to do all of this. Let’s take a brief moment to think about this together. Isn’t it easier to speak highly of someone who has done right by you rather than someone who has wronged you? Isn’t it easier to say yes to a person’s request when they have been kind and loving towards you rather than the person who has been selfish and hateful towards you? I believe we would answer yes to these two questions without much thought. Therefore, if God who is kind and loving towards us, who sacrificed his only Begotten Son (John 3:16), who adopted us into his family (Romans 8:15), who has made us more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), who has made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), who has conquered the grave (1 Corinthians 15:57), who is our mediator (Hebrews 9:15), who is our Savior (1 John 1:14)…why would be not humbly place our lives before him and scream from the mountaintops that God is good?

However, it should be noted that all of these actions: praising, worshiping, and serving places us in the position of a servant and our culture often pities the characters in movies or books that have the “unfortunate” position of servant. They are often lowly and dismissed and, if they’re lucky, are used to make transitions throughout the story, but they hold no weight of importance. God disagrees, and Paul reminds the people of the Church of Philippi, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus flips our cultural idea of servanthood on its head saying, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

We have been created to be servants who are loved and cared for. We are invited into God’s story as his image bearers that are called to have dominion over all of creation and to have communion with God. We are servants that have an inheritance, in Christ (Hebrews 9:15). I hope that seeing our worth in the eyes of Christ will allow us to better approach our relationship and service with God with passion and delight.

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Filed Under: Connect, Featured, God Talk Tagged With: Creation

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New Identity | Exploring Faith
📖⁠ And every day he was teaching in the templ 📖⁠
And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.⁠
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Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.⁠
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Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. [Luke 21:37-22:6 ESV]⁠
With our busy get-up-and-go lifestyles, it might s With our busy get-up-and-go lifestyles, it might seem more difficult than ever to find time for God or where we can fully make time for the essential aspects of the Christian life like prayer and Bible reading. Yes, like working out or eating healthy, it comes down to the priority and importance of those things in our lives and whether or not they’re important enough to us. At the end of the day we will make time for the things that are most important to us in our lives. Though God is not a “thing” to be fit into our schedules, I believe it’s more than possible to make a place and priority in our lives for connection with him.⁠
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✍🏽: Nicholas Sowell in "ENGAGING WITH GOD" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📖⁠ “Hear another parable. There was a maste 📖⁠
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”⁠
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Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:⁠
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“‘The stone that the builders rejected⁠
has become the cornerstone;⁠
this was the Lord's doing,⁠
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?⁠
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”⁠
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When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. [Matthew 21:33-46 ESV] || For more of these eventful 24-hours for Jesus, read Matthew 21:20-25:46.⁠
"I wanted to take my own life. It was a dark and s "I wanted to take my own life. It was a dark and scary time, and it was only God who prevented this act from occurring.  When I was going through this period of anguish and anxiety I did not think that I would ever again enjoy the sunshine as God meant for me to enjoy it. Yet it was this dark pit, devoid of any light or even an atom of hope, that brought me to the place where I was able to reach for light from the only true source of eternal light."⁠
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✍🏽: Shannon Clark-Rivera in "FROM THE LAND OF THE DEAD TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📖⁠ On the following day, when they came from 📖⁠
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.⁠
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And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city. [Mark 11:12-19 ESV]
How do I get my life together when it seems like a How do I get my life together when it seems like a mess?” That is how I translate Psalm 119:9. Most English language Bibles use something similar to the NIV’s translation of “How can young people keep their way pure?” However, I am no longer a young man, and the word “pure” does not seem to apply to all of the ways that I feel like I stumble. For me, the word “pure” sounds like it has more to do with a priest in the book of Leviticus getting ready for a ceremony. I am also not an ancient Israelite priest. Instead, when I think of the ways I fail in my own life, they are more akin to what Paul describes in Romans 7, when he says, “what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”⁠
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✍🏽: @jefffrelatable in "Trading Bad Habits for Zakah" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during "Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during the Christian calendar, focuses upon the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is no surprise. Had Jesus not risen from the dead, our faith would be useless, and we would still be guilty of our sins (1 Cor. 15:17).⁠
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Holy Week helps us reflect upon the last week of Jesus’ life. There are a number of ways that Christians celebrate Holy Week, but there is a common commitment to expressing deep gratitude for Christ’s death and celebration of his resurrection! –@lukegeraty in Elevating Easter⁠
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Join us each day this week to read Scripture and see what each day was like in the life of Jesus, leading up to his death and resurrection. It's a good way for us to be present and remember what took place those many years ago.
If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! Check in with some of your favorite writers, and we don't think you'll be disappointed! The link in our bio will take you to in the full issue!⁠
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Many thanks to our wonderful contributors:⁠
@the_christopherscott⁠
@mayotron⁠
@jefffrelatable⁠
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@slimkeman⁠
✍🏼👊🏾❤️⁠
You're the best!
Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” before, perhaps more than once. A wilderness season is when you feel stuck or lost in a difficult situation, and your only options are to endure patiently and wait with the expectation that the situation will eventually pass or be resolved. For some people, this period may last a few days, for others it may last years—or for so long that it feels like it will never end.⁠
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We all encountered a wilderness season at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses closed their doors—some for good. Anticipated events were cancelled. Schools closed with awkward transitions into remote learning. Jobs were lost, hours were cut. Those who lost loved ones were unable to gather to mourn their dead. Church services became virtual, and some may remain that way.⁠
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✍🏽: Chitara Ellis in "Waiting In The Wilderness" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
We are pleased to announce the launch of our lates We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest issue with an added brightness and fresh design – while still bringing you the inspirational depth and thoughtful encouragement that you’ve come to expect from us.⁠
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Hope is around the corner and spring is in the air as we celebrate the renewal of life and the great miracle of Easter. We hope that the articles in this issue would help you during this transitional time of winter to spring, and the hopeful horizon ahead of pandemic to post-pandemic. Be inspired by hearing the thoughts of our passionate contributors. ⁠
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Take a look inside, and let us know what you think! The link is in our bio! Enjoy!
Sadly in our world today, kindness has lost its va Sadly in our world today, kindness has lost its value. But as we see from some of the examples in Scripture, kindness is to be shown in all of our interactions with others. It is a gift from God through the work of the Holy Spirit, and taught by Jesus Christ. We can no longer walk past. Now, more than ever, we need to bring kindness back. We have to especially show the younger generation’s constant examples of kindness. We can hold the door for one another; allow someone to go ahead of us in line. Smile with compassion at the clerk whose line is one person too long and everyone is staring at him or her as if it’s their fault. ⁠
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✍🏽: Crystal Alexander in "Kindness: The Forgotten Fruit"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @cottonbro from Pexels⁠
Charles Swindoll writes, “Wisdom isn’t somethi Charles Swindoll writes, “Wisdom isn’t something that is exclusive to those who have exceptional IQs or advanced degrees. Rather, wise behavior in the eyes of the Lord comes as a result of obeying the Lord’s commands.” Resist the urge to think that a smart person with a lot of knowledge is wise. Author Paul David Tripp says there “is a huge difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is an accurate understanding of truth. Wisdom is understanding and living in light of how that truth applies to the situations and relationships in your daily life. Knowledge is the exercise of your brain. Wisdom is the commitment of your heart that leads to transformation of your life.” ⁠
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✍🏽: Christopher L. Scott @the_christopherscott in "God, What Do You Want Me To Do With My Life?" Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"While you can spend time in God’s creation appr "While you can spend time in God’s creation appreciating his beauty, or with him in prayer, you can also get to know him more intimately through his Word."⁠
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✍🏽: Christopher L. Scott @the_christopherscott in "How Anyone Can Study The Bible"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Discovering God’s will and finding direction fo "Discovering God’s will and finding direction for your life from God is like the lead and follow of dancers. God’s the lead. You are the follow and must know the lead and respond to him."⁠
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✍🏽: Christopher L. Scott @the_christopherscott in "God, What Do You Want Me To Do With My Life?" Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @EJ.Officiel from Pexels⁠
#gracelikeanavalanche ⁠
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#godisincontrol⁠
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#praywithoutceasing⁠
#godsgotthis⁠
#prayerchangesthings⁠
#trustinthelord⁠
#iamachildofgod⁠
#faithfulmess⁠
#godslove
"The Creator of the Universe promises to be with y "The Creator of the Universe promises to be with you. You’re not alone. You’re his. And as long as he has work for you to do on this earth, you’re immortal. Sparrows don’t hit the ground without his knowledge, and the hairs on your head are numbered. He’s got you."⁠
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✍🏽: T.J. Woodard in "Be Anxious For Nothing"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If Jesus is speaking with subordinates, those wit "If Jesus is speaking with subordinates, those without power, he is instructing them to actively and non-violently make the statement that they are also human beings worthy of dignity. To turn the left cheek after being backhanded on the right was a statement of human dignity."⁠
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✍🏽: Nathan Rutan in "An Eye for An Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
We're happy to announce that the Fall/Winter 2020 We're happy to announce that the Fall/Winter 2020 Issue is out today! There are some great articles inside that we hope you'll love! Enjoy! 🤗 #linkinbio⁠
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#newissue #newidentitymag #liveidentified #magazine #kindness #anxiety #waiting #worththewait #mcu #eatableheroes #marvel #godswill
Prayer isn’t about making the things we selfishl Prayer isn’t about making the things we selfishly want happen; it’s about making us want what God wants.⁠
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✍🏽: @sarahjoysly in "Prayer - The Alignment of Our Souls With God"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @maryannkariuki from Pexels⁠
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” – Haldir⁠
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In Lothlorien, Haldir is encouraging a downcast Fellowship with a glimpse of the larger story in which they find themselves. His words reflect the apostle Paul’s encouragement to the church, that we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). For there is a form of grief from which there is no recovery – one in which there is no resurrection of the dead. If death is the final word, then we must suffer grief without hope, grief that diminishes our love for life because of the crushing weight of the loss we’ve experienced. But Tolkien believed that death was not the end; therefore, we may experience the beautiful juxtaposition in our own lives of deep sorrow mixed with rivers of joy. Instead of crippling us, our grief may actually help to cultivate in our character the virtues of faith, hope, and love that are necessary to continue to carry our heaviest burdens. ⁠
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✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Memorable Middle Earth"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
#faithhopelove #lotr #thefellowshipofthering #thelordoftherings #middleearth
The Bible stresses that despite our differences we The Bible stresses that despite our differences we are called to love each other above our political positions. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14). You may feel like how politics and religion intersect in the public sphere communicate the exact opposite of this, and you’d be right. Media outlets report drama and conflict. Gracious and loving political opponents are not newsworthy.⁠
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✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Our Identity In Christ Is Always Greater"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
#politics #voting #love #loveyourneighbor #loveyourneighbornotmattertheirpolitics
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