Calling Forth Vessels of Honor in a Dark World

'We ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing a great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.' (2 Corinthians 4: 7)

It’s amazing that God has deigned to choose fragile, breakable “earthen vessels” to be his ministers of the Gospel. Not angels. Not any other category of celestial beings. But human beings, who are:

(1) frail

(2) imperfect

(3) lowly

(4) weak

(5) unimposing

The Lord preserves his vessels of clay until our tasks are completed so that the power of anything we may accomplish is seen to be his and not ours.

Even so, an alabaster box is sometimes broken so that the precious ointment may be poured forth. I think of the premature death of Christian apologist Nabeel Qureshi who was a trophy of grace plucked out of Islam. From his short life the fragrance of his knowledge of the Lord was poured into a world that must hear the Gospel.

The Gospel message is a great treasure, a sacred trust, that has been committed to earthen vessels in the wisdom of the Almighty. We not only contain this treasure when we are born again, but we are also empowered to dispense it to all who will listen. The world is waiting for this treasure. As never before, the Gospel needs a fresh hearing. What an honour to be the Lord’s chosen vessels!

In 2 Corinthians, Paul described the spirit of faith of believers; he says those particularly on the front lines are often "pressed on every side... perplexed... pursued... smitten down." Nevertheless, the vessel is preserved until it has finished its work.

People will take offence at the truth. Attacks, complaints and criticisms come on a regular basis. But these don’t make us quit.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Corinthians 4)

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul proclaimed a similar parable in 2 Timothy 2: 20-21:

And in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honour, and some to dishonour: So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared (fit) for every good work.

The vessels of the Lord's house are not all of one size, material or the same function. Some are silver and gold; this speaks of holiness. Divine purpose. Consecration.

God is calling for vessels of honor in this dark hour. However, to my deep sorrow, the institutional church is presently filled with many vessels of dishonor. The mainstream churches are once again betraying the Jewish people.

The chief rabbi of South Africa, Dr. Warren Goldstein, has pointed out the shameful cowardice of both Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Rabbi Goldstein accuses them of indifference to the murder of black Christians in Africa, the terrorism threat in Europe and “outright hostility” to Israel’s attempts to battle jihadi forces led by Iran.

“At a time when Europe’s very future hangs in the balance,” wrote Goldstein,” its two most senior Christian leaders have abandoned their most sacred duty to protect and defend the values of the Bible. Their cowardice and lack of moral clarity threaten the free world.”

According to journalist Melanie Phillips, “Goldstein’s blistering accusations were on the mark.” This is because, for example, Open Doors, an organization that supports persecuted Christians, has observed: “In truth, there are very few Muslim countries—or countries with large Muslim populations —where Christians can avoid intimidation, harassment or violence.”

And in January 2024, a report for Genocide Watch confirmed that, since 2000, 62,000 Christians in Nigeria have been murdered by Islamist groups in an ongoing attempt to exterminate Christianity. In addition, more than 32,000 moderate black Nigerian Muslims and non-faith individuals have been massacred.

Yet the mainstream media all but ignore these atrocities. Instead, “the media and western elites demonize Israel as the pariah of the world for defending itself against genocidal Islamists,” according to Melanie Phillips.

The attitude of church leaders is even more astonishing. Welby and the Pope usually refuse to call out what’s happening by its proper name — the Islamist war to eradicate Christianity and destroy the West.

Furthermore, Welby has endorsed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel’s occupation of the “Palestinian territories” is illegal. On the contrary, wrote Melanie Phillips, “the Jews are the only people with a legal right many times over.” Those who were given a biblical deed to the Holy Land do not occupy it; they own it. Melanie went to on ask:

So why are the Pope and the archbishop given to such unholy perversity? The reason is partly psychological, partly political but mostly theological.

First, there’s the fear of antagonising the Muslim world and, as a result, bringing about yet more persecution of Christians.

Second, there’s internalised self-flagellation corresponding to western liberals scourging themselves for “white privilege”. Back in 2020, Welby said he was ashamed of the Anglican attitude towards black people and declared that the church was “deeply, institutionally racist”. The Pope, an acolyte of left-wing “liberation theology,” has a similarly anti-west mindset.

The deeper reason, however, is theological. That was illuminated by the sharpest challenge of all that Goldstein hurled at the Archbishop of Canterbury.

By supporting the ICJ ruling that the “West Bank” and eastern Jerusalem are “occupied territory” to which the Jewish state has no rightful claim, . . . Welby was effectively rejecting the Bible — which, in addition to theology, was a book of historical fact.

In the Bible, God’s promise of the entire Land of Israel to the Jews is an unconditional covenant.

Yet Welby’s endorsement of the ICJ ruling that Israel is in illegal occupation suggested he did not regard the word of God as eternally binding. Is Welby therefore truly a religious believer, the rabbi was asking, or does he regard God’s promise as merely a myth?

Here’s the bottom line: Christians who are faithful to the Hebrew Scriptures love the Jews and support Israel, appreciating that Christianity derives from Judaism. It’s no coincidence that others who claim to be Christians but who don’t respect the Hebrew Bible have no real and abiding love for the Jewish people.

Melanie Phillips’ assessment of today’s mainline Christians is a tragic indictment: “And so, while today’s Islamists are murdering Christians and Jews, trying to conquer the west and posing a terrifying threat to civilisation itself, European Christian leaders have decided to dump their Jewish parent and embrace their Islamist assassin. They have abandoned the Jewish people because they have abandoned the Hebrew Bible and with it the defence of Christianity and the west.”

Surely God is seeking true vessels of honor who will be biblically correct in this hour, not politically correct!

To contact Christine Darg or to support her ministry, please visit www.JerusalemChannel.tv