Master Potter

by Jill Austin

  “Yes, fires are really dangerous; He could have burned the house down and us along with it,” says Abundance, the large fruit bowl, as she addresses the other vessels.

  Nodding, Fear of Man continues, “We’ve found that people are relieved not to have to worry about fires that could indeed burn down their houses. Another benefit of this policy is that it makes very efficient use of your valuable time. In fact, advertising a once-a-month special revival fire meeting pulls bigger crowds, brings in more offerings, and allows for less time spent on cleanup.”

  “No cleanup is good,” mutters Long Suffering. “I hate it when I sweep the hearth and ashes fly up my nose.”

  “Oh, a little hard work never hurt anyone,” mutters Fearless under his breath.

  “Well then, maybe you can clean the fireplace next time,” replies Long Suffering curtly. Bickering erupts between the two pots.

  SPIRITUAL WARFARE

  Sitting in the dismal room, Beloved musters her courage to ask, “What if we want to have more than one fire a month? It can be dark and cold without a cozy fire!” Other vessels agree with her and raise questions regarding the policy. Her courage is becoming contagious.

  The long arm of Law ’n Order wraps around her shoulders, and he whispers in her ear. “You will do just fine without a fire,” he says, nodding his head. “We are the experts and know what is best. After all, we’re just here to help you! Why don’t you just sit down and let us men handle this. Who ever heard of a woman firefighter? You don’t want to be a troublemaker!”

  The oily voice of the Fire Chief fills the room. “Oh, she’s not stirring things up. We do value women’s input, even though they’re usually overly emotional. I totally understand her concerns. Beloved is your name, isn’t it? I’ve had my eye on you for some time.”

  Fear of Man reaches out to paralyze Beloved’s heart, but she shrinks back from his grasp in alarm and begins to pray silently.

  Holy Spirit appears in soft feathery smoke swirling around her. “Don’t be afraid Beloved; just keep praying. This is heavy spiritual warfare. I’ll give you discernment as you press through.”

  Beloved turns to Comrade, Harvester and her new friend Golden Incense. “It feels so oppressive in here without Master Potter’s fire. I can’t even see what’s going on through all this thick smoke. Let’s pray for Master Potter to come back.”

  Joining together, they cry out, “Help, Lord! We’re confused and not sure what to do! We need You.”

  Holy Spirit releases wisdom and revelation for strategies to defeat the enemy. “A great deception has been loosed in the fireside room. You must pray for discernment so that the enemy’s plan will be uncovered. It’s not just these assistants; you’re really fighting spiritual wickedness in high places.”

  They cry out, “Lord, uncover the plans of the enemy. Show us who we’re really fighting.”

  The smoky, evil haze of deception begins to lift as their earnest prayers hit the atmosphere. The powerful intercession scorches the gnarly hides of the slithering, infiltrating demonic horde. Aware that he is losing ground, the Fire Chief snarls for his henchmen to get back to their oppressive tasks.

  The spirit of fear infiltrates the intercessors. Afraid of being discovered, they shut down and disconnect from each other. Spirits of depression cover them like a heavy blanket. Battle plans fall to the ground as each one becomes isolated and silent.

  POLICY #2

  As the prayers subside, Fear of Man recovers quickly. “Our second policy, at a small additional cost, is the Family Discount Policy wherein we supply an ornate, glass firescreen. This maintains a controlled temperature. It also gives full protection for you and your children to keep from being burned by the fire. I’m sure you’ll agree, the safety of your children is one of your paramount concerns.”

  Looking at each vessel he continues, “Master Potter is foolish and dangerous the way He builds fires, and you must protect yourself and your families against His recklessness. A responsible parent would do everything to protect his or her child from Master Potter’s damaging flames.”

  Most come into agreement with this wisdom as Law ’n Order craftily directs the demonic hordes around the room. Spirits of accusation and unbelief subtly move among the vessels.

  “After all, Master Potter was the one who started the fire in the trophy room. You barely survived it, and then He starts another one! What was He thinking?”

  The Fire Chief commands the room’s attention once again and says, “Remember, we’re the ones who saved you. If Master Potter really cared about your safety, we wouldn’t have had to rescue you. Where is He anyway? Why did He put you through so much and then abandon you?”

  Beloved feels Holy Spirit’s grief at the accusations against Master Potter. She tells the others, “But as clay vessels, if we didn’t go through that fire we would be fragile and not able to hold His substances. Master Potter did what was best for us because He loves us. Don’t listen to them; there’s something wrong here!”

  The vessels take sides for and against Master Potter. Comrade shouts, “Beloved, I’m with you! He’s always been faithful and even gave us Holy Spirit to guide and help us!”

  “I don’t know,” says Abundance. “He did put us in the kiln, and now He’s abandoned us.”

  “That doesn’t sound so loving,” Diligence agrees.

  Sweet Adoration cries, “Master Potter does love us. After all, He rescued us from the Potter’s Field. We all need to pray!”

  In their confusion, the pots don’t notice that the Fire Chief is barring the exits.

  POLICY #3

  Fear of Man shouts, “Quiet! Quiet! I’m totally for Master Potter! Please do not misunderstand me. In fact, our third policy is called, Monuments of Master Potter’s Past Glory. We recognize some unenlightened people still like fire, but this is the safest way to enjoy it—or at least the memory of the last great revival fire.

  “So my assistant Religious Ritual will supply large, hand-tinted photographs illustrating historic moments when Master Potter brought signs, wonders, and even healing miracles. These moments are forever embedded in our memory, as I’m sure they are in yours, even though the last great revival fires offended many people and brought terrible division to your churches.”

  Undetected, spirits of deception begin to move among the vessels, wrapping their steely bands around the clay vessels’ minds. He continues, “This very popular plan includes sweeping the hearth clean and having no messy, dangerous fires at all! You have no wood to chop, split, or haul, no soot, no smoke, no ashes—no work or mess to clean up! You know how messy division in the church can be. Avoiding it in the first place is certainly wisdom. Don’t you agree?”

  “Well, that makes sense,” says Diligence. “It seems like wisdom to me.”

  “I agree,” says Abundance. “It’s always best to avoid conflict.”

  Religious Ritual continues, “In the spring time, we supply greenery for the fireplace—artificial of course, but it looks so real that no one will know the difference, and it’s so fashionable. All the best churches have it. What’s important is for you to have no upkeep. Who wants to be seen shoveling out dirty old fireplaces? Aren’t you above that, really? Master Potter called you to be leaders.”

  “I like this plan,” says Joyful. “I like remembering how powerfully God has moved.”

  “That’s what this plan is all about—God’s past move of the Sprit. We should be proud of and grateful for these memories. What a rich and vibrant history we have. All you have to do is choose this plan, Monuments of Master Potter’s Past Glory, and we will go through the archives and get photographs from the last century when many of your ancestors moved in signs and wonders. We will display these along with some of the crutches, braces, and wheelchairs right here in this room. After all, the Word says to not forget His works.”

  HOLY SPIRIT STRATEGY

  The voice of Holy Spirit resonates through the vessels: “The past works of Master Potter are not dead m
onuments to be remembered. You are not to be an audience, but activists to bring the Kingdom of God to earth now. It’s not enough to just look at past revivals; you must pray and uncap these ancient wells of anointing for your generation and your children.

  “Stand on the past victories and come up higher and go further than they did. Don’t be content to sit here and reminisce. Go out and do your own radical exploits as double-portion sons and daughters.”

  Directing His voice toward the ones snoozing in the back, He releases conviction and says loudly, “Awake, you sleepers. Arise and uncap those ancient wells of anointing for today.”

  At the sound of Holy Spirit’s voice, the heavy oppression starts to lift off Beloved and the intercessors. Other vessels awake as out of a daze.

  Comrade looks to Harvester, “Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?”

  Harvester replies, “I’m no fan of fire. If I never saw the inside of that kiln again it would be okay with me, but Master Potter’s fires in the big stone fireplace are different. They bring refreshing. I don’t like all this talk about sweeping the hearth clean.”

  POLICY #4

  “Quickly, let me go over our final and most up-to-date policy. This fourth plan is called Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness. It is our most expensive, but most effective policy, as it does away with the old-fashioned fireplace and totally modernizes your church. This is undoubtedly the finest plan we offer. After all, everyone knows fire is a dangerous and archaic custom anyway!

  “In fact, we not only train your people to be fire deputies but also to be bricklayers so they can actually close up your drafty old fireplaces, first in this house and then in your neighborhoods and cities. And, as an added bonus, the most gifted—and you know who you are—will be sent out to assist our team in locating fires and putting them out. Fighting fires is an exhilarating career. For some of you men who are tired of sitting on the shelves waiting, I promise you, you can’t find much more excitement in life!”

  Smiling at the naïve little pots, he tells them, “Plan one, two, three, or four, any combination is fine. It’s so easy, just like falling off a log, so to speak. Just talk it over among yourselves, and sign on the dotted line. Remember, my two excellent assistants, Religious Ritual and Law ’n Order, will be moving among you to offer any assistance or advice you may need.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  THE GREAT DECEPTION

  Diligence, the sturdy casserole, yells from across the room: “I want plan number two, the Family Discount Policy. It’s the best protection and the safest for the children and the whole family. My church elders would approve of this plan.”

  Abundance tries to be heard above the din. Waving her handkerchief to get Fear of Man’s attention, she shouts out, “Over here! I’ll take that plan too, but I want the Safety First Policy tacked onto it. A once-a-month revival meeting is great. I can even invite Auntie Killjoy. She wouldn’t be offended or uncomfortable in any way. Three logs are perfect; it gives some heat but won’t burn the house down.”

  Having lost their spiritual discernment, the vessels intensely argue over which policy to sign up for. Each is convinced that the one he or she has chosen is the very best and is unwilling to hear others’ opinions. Stubbornly and selfishly they attempt to drown out each other’s words. A mean-spirited attitude has entered the group of vessels, although few realize a change is taking place.

  CLOAK AND DAGGER

  Quarreling and strife consume the vessels as they turn on each other. They begin to play the dangerous game of cloak and dagger. In the shadows of the church they hide under the cover of their title and position. While they smile and act spiritual, they knife their companions in the back, then tell themselves they are doing God a favor.

  Terribly deceived, they become self-appointed vigilantes, slandering vessels that move in the freedom of Holy Spirit’s fire that they once loved. In so doing, they come into deeper bondage to the spirits of control and legalism orchestrated by Fear of Man. Deceived, many eagerly sign fire insurance policies without reading the documents.

  In the suffocating haze, passivity invades the shelves and the vessels become comfortable in the growing darkness. Spirits of lethargy cloak their minds, draining their energy and squeezing the life out of them. Rocking them in their loathsome arms, the demonic choir mesmerizes the little church to sleep singing, “Rock a bye baby, never grow up!”

  BRING BACK THE FIRE

  Grieved by the dissention, deception and lethargy, Holy Spirit urges the intercessors to reconnect with each other and to agree together in prayer. “Join together with each other. I’m calling you to return to your first love. You need to repent and cry out for Master Potter. Look what’s going on around you. Your companions are being deceived by the enemy.”

  As they gather together again, a tenderizing fire begins to erupt in their hearts. Finally they can contain it no longer and the huddled, scared group begins to cry out.

  Beloved wails, “Yes, Lord. We want Your fire and Your presence. Forgive me for my fear and apathy.”

  Golden Incense, gripped with groans of deep repentance, enters in. “Forgive us. We need You as a continual blazing fire so that we can be carriers of Your glory.”

  The fervent prayers of the saints rise as golden perfumed incense before the throne. Each petition and cry cracks the oppressive, invading darkness.

  Softly, Beloved’s beautiful voice leads the praying vessels into worship. Gentle tears flow as they’re caught up in praise. Others move into prophetic songs.

  Heaven responds by releasing refreshing winds to the intercessors, imparting revelation and a new faith level to fight for revival fire. The windows of Heaven open and gusts of glory sweep through the room.

  The holy fragrance of adoration and the heavenly glory violently assault the demonic. While dodging the missiles of glory shot from canons of praise, the Fire Chief growls at Fear of Man to seek out and destroy the source of the hated worship.

  Terror flashes through Fear of Man’s piercing blue eyes as he panics, afraid he will have his master’s rage unleashed on him. Quickly he rounds up his assistants, Law ’n Order and Religious Ritual, and assigns each of them a regiment of demonic spirits to try to regain control of the room.

  Unable to locate the intercessors, they grasp the other pots in a vise-like grip. Murmuring and spitting they say, “The dreadful fire is the last thing any of you need! You know from your past experience how painful it was to suffer that fiery ordeal. Do you really want to do that again?”

  Some of the vessels agree with the lies of the gathering demonic horde, telling each other, “No! We should never have to go through something like that again! We remember how horrific the fire was. Don’t forget that Master Potter orchestrated it Himself. We want to sign up for some fire insurance.”

  PARALYZED BY FEAR

  Frightened by the counterattack, Beloved and the intercessors start to lose hope. They shut down and stop praying once again.

  Having regained control of the room, Law ’n Order notices Beloved and comes over and says, “We have safety procedures here for everybody’s well-being. And I know you ladies don’t want to be rebellious. You really shouldn’t break the rules.”

  Beloved cries out, “Don’t listen. His rules are bondage.”

  Law ’n Order snarls with sarcastic glee, “There’s always a big-mouth woman around who struggles with the issue of submission. Challenging proper authority is not only wrong but sets a dangerous example for others.”

  Golden Incense says, “Beloved, I think you’re right. We don’t want to get caught up in rules and regulations and lose our first love.”

  Joyful says, “I love Master Potter and I want His fiery love. I want Master Potter to come back. Where is He?”

  Fear of Man joins the group and puts his arm around Law ’n Order. Shaking his head sadly, he says, “How many times have we seen this? Women who have a Jezebel spirit, who think they’re doing the right thing but just stir up contention a
nd bring division to the group.”

  Law ’n Order responds, “I know, the bad thing about being deceived is that you don’t know it.”

  “Oh my goodness,” wails Long Suffering. “I knew I was deceived. I just knew it. Now it’s confirmed in the mouth of several witnesses.”

  Religious Ritual struts over to join his demonic henchmen. “I know in your little hearts you girls want to do what’s right. But remember, it does say in the Word that a woman should be silent and not in authority. It’s dangerous to have intercessor groups without someone experienced to be accountable to.”

  Beloved and Golden Incense look at each other with confusion.

  Fear of Man says, “We’re bringing in wisdom to govern this terrible mess that Master Potter left you in and then you four challenge our leadership. Unless you learn to submit you’ll never be able to move into your destiny. Unless you grow up into maturity, by listening to your God-given authority, you will always grieve Master Potter’s heart.”

  Beloved starts weeping and says, “I don’t want to be rebellious. I just want Master Potter. I don’t know how to do this. Help me. It must be better for me to just shut down and not say anything than to cause others to fall by questioning leadership.”

  “That’s right,” says Fear of Man, nodding his head and smiling.

  Other dark political and religious spirits swirl around Beloved and her friends, shutting them down with their insidious accusations.

  “Now ladies,” begins Law ’n Order, “which one of the plans that we’re offering today, or which combination of them, would you each like?”