ISAIAH 62 Prayer Letter

January 6, 2016

 

 

In the Potter’s House

 

 

The word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah to go down to the Potter’s house, since there He would open Jeremiah’s ears and cause him to hear a timely word from God’s throne (Jeremiah 18).

 

Molding a vessel

 

So the prophet entered the house, sat down and began watching the potter making vessels out of clay. If a vessel became marred while the potter was working at the wheel – maybe there was a stone in the lump of clay, or maybe the clay proved to be too stiff – he began again and turned it into another shape, however the potter saw good and fit.

 

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” God was reminding Jeremiah of His sovereignty: As Creator, He alone has absolute power over human beings who are His creation.

 

He shapes us as He wishes, both individuals and nations. He may use us as He chooses; He has power and is free to shape us to meet His required purpose as the Creator and is not accountable to us. It would be utterly absurd to dispute this (Rom.9:20-21).

 

This overwhelming sovereignty of God to be able to form and shape individuals and nations is our hope here on earth! “It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but OF GOD WHO SHOWS MERCY“ (Rom.9:16, emphasis mine). We don’t rely on our own works, capabilities and power, but can rest securely at the center of His good will. In other words, even when we are weak and sinful and have no strength, loyalty nor will left to do good, we simply turn to Him who is sovereign and respond to Him in faith – it is fully within His grasp to take an impossible situation and make life well again. Even the nations, their corporate life and destiny can change and be renewed.

 

The gracious and awesome God

 

As the Lord continued speaking with Jeremiah in the Potter’s house, He reveals His principles and ways of dealing with the nations. The affairs in life and the destinies of kingdoms and peoples is not a closed system locked into an inevitable fate with human beings having no say whatsoever to what will happen to them or their nations. The heart’s response towards God plays a major role in how or for what purpose the vessel in the hand of the divine Potter finally and eventually will end up to become, formed and shaped.

 

“The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, IF that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, IF it does evil in my sight so that it does not obey my voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it (Jer. 18:7-10, emphasis mine).

 

We are told in the Bible how obedience to God’s truth, character and virtues laid out in His word and understood by the things He has made in creation, will produce a blessing and prosperity, and how disobedience to His voice, on the other hand, will bring judgment and destruction. The Bible advises: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut.30:19).

 

The nations and individuals do have a say in how their lives and destinies will be formed in God’s created world throughout time and history, and what will their experience be while journeying through life. Just as they do have a say and choice concerning where they will end up after their last breath has been breathed out on earth. The response from the heart towards the Lord our God determines the future – both in time and eternity.

 

With every blessing from Jerusalem,

 

Rev. Juha Ketola

International Director

 

 

 

Pray with us according to the following guidelines:

 

1.      Israel.

 

Please pray for the PM Netanyahu and his cabinet to have wisdom as they address the current situation regarding the violence of Palestinians using knives, guns and car attacks against the Israelis to murder them.

Use Eccl. 9:18 and Prov. 4:7 in your prayers.

 

Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Use Ps. 122:6-9 in your prayers.

 

Please pray for the Messianic Body in Israel to grow and to be built in Jesus.

Use Eph. 4:11-16 and Col. 1:9-12 in your prayers.

 

2.      Middle East region

 

Please pray for the repentance and strong conviction of sin to fall on all Israel and all the region, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Gaza.

Use 2 Chron. 7:14 and John 16:7-11 and Isa. 19:23-25 in your prayers.

 

3.      Turkey

 

Please pray for the relationship with Turkey and Israel to be normalised fully.

Use 1 Tim. 2:1-2 in your prayers.

 

4.      ICEJ ministry

 

Please pray for wisdom and guidance for the leadership.

Use James 1:5-8 and Prov. 1:7 in your prayers.

 

Please pray for our finances and the resources to be full and overflowing for every good work.

Use Phil. 4:19 and Isa 60:5 and Isa 52:12 in your prayers.

 

5.      Dr. Juergen Buehler

 

Please pray for the speedy recovery and healing of our Executive Director Dr. Juergen Buehler and for the glory of the Lord to be released through it.

Use Phil. 1:19, 24-26 and John 11:4, 45 in your prayers.