2 COR 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (jars of clay) to show that this all-surpassing power is from The Father and not from us.
 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
 9  persecuted, but not abandoned;struck down, but not destroyed.
 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Yawhúshúa  (the lamb), so that the life of Yawhúshúa may also be revealed in our body.

We are often troubled and sometimes in doubt, said a man in a letter to his friends;
There are many enemies and at times we are badly hurt.
Have you ever felt like that? If so you have a lot of company.
Some people would at times say that they feel like that all the time. If we only knew how many people right around you at this present time are feeling down and out.
Many of us at one time or another have felt like that.
That your life has been going downhill for so long and you have now finally just hit rock bottom.
Your world around you has just collapsed, and you are absolutely down and out!

The loss of a love one has left you completely broken. You know how it feels, because you have been there. You may even be there right now.

Today I bring you a word of comfort from the Scriptures. It comes to us through a man who knew exactly how it feels to be down and out. His name is Paul. He discovered a great secret. This secret is plainly Yawhúshúa the Mawshee’akh (Messiah)

Vs;6 For “The Almighty”, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of his esteem of in the face of Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh.
    
Those were Paul’s words…and that’s what Yawhúshúa had done for him.
To some this may sound like a load of trash. One man’s trash however is another man’s treasure. In this case, out of the trash heaps of this world, came the secret of life. Impaled on a Roman stake with all the piety which “religion” is capable of, YawhúshúaMawshee’akh emerged with the treasure of the ages, the riches and the esteem of The Father’s forbearance, forgiving people there sins and giving them new life, with belief and love in YawhúshúaMawshee’akh     .

Paul was not preaching “religion” as people do who are always boasting about themselves, parading their own piety.

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh  as Master, and ourselves as your servants for Yawhúshúa’s sake.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (common clay pot) to show that this all-surpassing power is from The Father and not from us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
10 (At all times) we always carry around in our (mortal) body the death of Yawhúshúa, so that the life of Yawhúshúa may also be revealed (seen) in our bodies.

A common clay pot was very much a part of the scene in those days, like the tin pan or the many different plastic containers we have today. Archaeologists excavating villages at the eastern end of the Mediterranean find more clay pots than anything else.
Many of our dishes are made in the same way today. Beneath that glaze and pretty design is ordinary common clay. That’s why dishes break. They are made of clay. They serve their purpose for a while, and when they break, they are thrown away. You can always get more clay, because it’s common.

Clay is not the treasure. Quickly and easily that clay becomes trash. Isn’t it remarkable that people become so attached to clay and to things that are made of clay?
For a lot of people life is just nothing more than common clay. From dust we come and to dust we return. That’s life. You have to be careful therefore for the clay, because if that’s all you got, when the clay crumbles…your life is forever over.

Yes we are clay all right! Even the great and most powerful have clay feet. Some of them even have clay between their ears. How else can you describe the thought processes and the vaunted culture of people who think and act as if clay is a treasure? Those people, whose treasure is really trash.

No wonder that people feel down and out when the clay of life goes to pieces. When clay is the substance of life. For to be knocked down is to be knocked out.  When dreams are made of clay they are easily shattered. When hopes consist only of clay they easily break into pieces. When life is only clay, one shattering blow turns everything into trash.

The great thing about the clay pot is not the clay, but the fact is that, that pot can hold a treasure.
The great thing about these mortal bodies of ours is that the Spirit of “The Almighty” can live in them. Ordinary human people can become extra ordinary people with great belief, love, courage and hope, instead of mere creatures of dust whose only destiny is death. These clay pots of ours can hold the treasure of The Spirit of the Eternal Himself.
We have this treasure from The Father says Paul, “in earthen vessels, in common clay pots”. We have to be realistic. We are not strong, but He is. We are not always loving, but He is. We are not always forgiving, but He is. The treasure is His, and His to give. By His kindness, His love and His forgiveness we come into our own. We have this treasure of His in our own little clay pots, as we put our trust in Him and receive from Him the gift of His forgiveness, His goodness, His kindness and His life.

We have this treasure from Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh. That’s what Paul said, and that’s what he found out for himself. He tried to make it his own way and he succeeded only in being a complete failure. Having met YawhúshúaMawshee’akh and accepting His will, His death instead of ours, and His life instead of ours. Paul discovered a great secret that the Fathers strength is made perfect in our weakness.  We have this treasure in our common clay pots, and His treasure makes life worth living.

In a way it is comforting to know that a great man like Paul had his moments when he also was down. All of us have those down days when we are depressed. Indeed there are those days when we are down – down on ourselves, down on the world, even down on life. Many find themselves in the bind of that executive who confided to a friend, that in the morning he can’t stand the thought of going to work and, once there, he dreads the thought of returning home because he can’t stand that either. Many people are tired of living and afraid of dying, so depressed that life has become a living hell to them.
We are all vulnerable to the hard knocks of life, which leaves people tired and without hope or energy left to carry on.

The prophet Micah lamented life as a tired and worn out thing: “it is hopeless” he said. I am like a hungry man who finds no fruit left on the trees and no grapes left on the vines. All the grapes and all the tasty figs have been picked. There is not an honest man left in the land, and no one left loyal to Yawhú. Everyone is waiting for his chance to do wrong. All are experts in doing evil. Officials and judges ask for bribes. An influential man tells the judge what he wants, and so they scheme together. Even the best and most honest of them are as worthless as weeds. All is confusion, but the day will come when Yawhú will punish people.  Don’t believe your neighbor or trust your friend. A man’s enemies are often the members of his own family.

That’s authentic. It sounds like today’s newspaper, I know, even though it was written many years ago. This is how so many people feel. It’s human. It’s what, or at least part of what people feel at some time or another – someone who is down and out.
Into the darkness comes this light. It is the light of The Father Yaw-Eternal Himself. Shining on us thru the face of YawhúshúaMawshee’akh His Son. He has the honor alone. The great Father who in the beginning said “let there be light”, has shone into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of His greatness in Yawhúshúa.  We have this treasure in our common clay pots, to show that the Supreme power belongs to The Father, and not to us. We are often troubled but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair, having many enemies, but never without a friend; though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.

That’s authentic too. It is the experience of a real man. That’s what he found out for himself. He discovered the secret of life. Since all of us are human, we are going to experience trouble. None of us will escape pain. The days will come when you are down, but The Father won’t let you down. The love of The Father is there for you in Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh. The light of The Father is there in the Face of Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh. The forgiveness and acceptance of the Father is there for you in Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh. The secret in life is ultimately and only, Yawhúshúa Mawshee’akh.

Paul found the secret of life, and so can you. The secret is to be found in YawhúshúaMawshee’akh, as Paul said: “Not having our own righteousness” which is a thing of the law. But the righteousness that is of The Father by belief in YawhúshúaMawshee’akh. The secret is not so much finding The Father as being found by Him. He so loved the world that He gave us His only Son. The question is if He so loved and cares about us, why should we then walk away from Him? Why turn away from Him as if he does not have love to give? Why go the route of down and out, when by His power, being knocked down does not mean being knocked out.

Would you like to have a belief like that? Would you like to have hope that refuses to despair in the midst of perplexity, and is always sure of having a friend even though being surrounded by enemies? Would you like to have that, even though it looks as if it is beyond your reach?

Don’t worry about your reach. You are not beyond His reach. It is The Father who works to will and to do His good pleasure. It is The Father who loves and He who gives. It is His work every step of the way, putting His treasure into these common clay pots and making them objects of beauty in spite of all that clay. It is the Father who by His Spirit produces in people a forgiving spirit and a loving character, turning something ordinary into something extraordinary.

The riches of The Father shows up in a remarkable way in the lives of people to whom He gives the belief and love which is in YawhúshúaMawshee’akh. They still have mortal bodies, but in those mortal bodies they carry around in them the death of Yawhúshúa, so that His life may also be seen in those mortal bodies.

The Son of “Yaw” had a clay pot just like ours. He took our common clay and everything that goes with it. He took the hard knocks of life. He was bruised, spat upon, and mistreated. He did not complain. He took it all and did not refuse death itself. He died in all His righteousness, sinless and innocent, because He was one for us and one of us.

YawhúshúaMawshee’akh is for you right now. He atoned for your sins; He was raised from the dead and declared to be King over all in His realm. By His life He gives and forgives. He is the life of His children. Members of the family of “Yaw” through belief in Yawhúshúa
Mawshee’akh. His children are like YawhúshúaHimself. They take the hard knocks of life and do not try to repay in kind. They carry about in their mortal bodies His death so that His life may also be apparent in their mortal bodies. They give and forgive. They love and serve. They are great people: troubled but not crushed; sometimes in doubt but never in despair; surrounded by enemies, yet never without a friend; though badly hurt at times, they are not destroyed.

They know something and they have something. They know someone and they have someone. You can have this too if you do not already know Him. You can also receive Him into your heart today, to be your Heavenly Father, your King, your redeemer and your friend. Let Him fill up your clay pot with His treasure. Bear with honor in your mortal body the marks of His death and His resurrection – down but never out; always shining in your life the light of The Fathers greatness in the face of Yawhúshúa theMawshee’akh .

May Yaw-Eternal the Father of love and peace be with you and guide you. May His richest blessings be upon all who revere and call on His blessed Name, thru His Son Yawhúshúa ourMawshee’akh.
Shalom - Br. Harold.
>>>Click Here For Next Teaching