This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis (ts@godspeak.org)

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                        Willing Vessels

The Lord is calling us up to a higher place in Him, a place where we need 
to lay down our right to put ourselves down.  It is a place where we have 
to give up our right to disqualify ourselves and enter into true humility.
True humility is coming into agreement with God on His plan for our lives,
and being available as vessels that He can fill and He can empower.  When 
we disqualify ourselves, we are actually telling God that He does not know 
what He is doing or who He is choosing.  It is a form of rebellion against 
God when we tell Him "no" because we claim not to be good enough.

And the truth be known.. none of us can ever be good enough in our own 
strength and merit.  It is not possible!  So God is inviting us to lay aside 
our efforts and to accept His Spirit and His qualification and His Spirit 
and His anointing.  He is inviting us to lay down our own agendas and to 
take up His -- because it has never been about us or our abilities or our 
qualifications.  It has ALWAYS been about Him and His ability to fill us and 
His ability to lead us and His ability to glorify His name through us.

It is time to take our focus off of ourselves and to put it onto God because 
He has an agenda.  He needs willing vessels who will let Him transform and 
let Him empower.  He needs vessels who will be available for Him to set the 
agenda and for God to choose the course.  He is looking for vessels who will 
not argue with God about their assignments, trying to tell Him that they 
are not qualified.  

He is looking for vessels who will submit to Him and allow Him to qualify 
them and allow Him to empower them.  He is looking for vessels who will 
allow Him to fill them with a greater measure of His spirit flowing through 
them so that these vessels might do with God what He is doing.  He wants 
vessels through which He might glorify His name.

So God has a question for you.  Are you a conditional vessel who will only 
serve Him when you feel the conditions are right?  Or are you a willing 
vessel who is set aside for His glory?  For if you will set yourself aside 
for His glory, then He will fill you.  He will anoint you and He will use 
you.  He will glorify His name through you -- not based on your abilities 
or on your qualifications -- but based on His.

Are you willing?