Welcome to Day 20 of The Challenge! Our verse to memorize is II Timothy 2:20:
~
"But 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."
~
As I began looking at this verse, the particular word "vessel" caught my eye. So what is a vessel? The Greek word for vessel is skeuos. One of the definitions of this 
word in the Greek is "a man (person) of quality, or a chosen instrument." Likewise, the main function of a human blood vessel is to carry blood towards the heart. On the cross, as Jesus was dying an excruciatingly painful death, he became a vessel for us; and by the shedding of His blood, He made a way for sinners to come to Christ.
Conversely, when a blood vessel is clotted, blood flow is prevented from getting to the heart. When we, as Christians have sin in our lives, we are preventing ourselves from urging others near to the heart of God. If we are willing to humble ourselves before God and allow Him to cleanse us from the sin in our lives, he will make us pure vessels of honour to bring souls to Him and be used for His purpose and plan, instead of our own. God has graciously given us the choice of how we live our lives—either for His honour, or for His dishonour. And in that "great house" of the body of Christ, God has called each of us to be chosen instruments of quality for Himself, as the Worker in the hearts of men. Through Christ’s strength, we can purpose in our hearts to live up to the calling we have of simply being "Channels Only" for our sacred Master.
Cross References: 1 Timothy 3:15, 2 Timothy 3:17
~ Mandy Graham
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January 20th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Thanks, Mandy! That reminds me of the verse, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
What a precious reminder to be constantly yielding myself to God. He can use me… and wants to.
January 20th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Wow….This has been such a good reminder for me! I had never thought of the verse using blood vessals before but it did make a clear picture for me. Thank you for sharing.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Incredible analogy between the blood vessel and our relationship with Lord! Brilliant! It’s amazing how often our body is built so wonderfully to mirror God’s creativeness and in some ways, His relationship with us. We are, indeed, created in the image of God!
January 21st, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Those who serve high government officials are to conduct themselves (in their actions, manners, dress, etc.) in a way that respects those they serve. How much more should we be vessels of honor as servants of the King of Kings! May we not bring dishonor or disgrace to His name.
I love that analogy of blood vessels and how a blood clot blocks the flow of blood. When we have sin in our lives, we are preventing ourselves from urging others near to the heart of God. What a challenging thought! So if I harbor sin in my life, I am obstructing my own effectiveness!
Thank you Mandy for your insightful words! I have pleasant memories of fellowship with you and your team during the Nov. ’08 Journey! Those times of praying blessings over team members were powerful! Keep being a blessing to others!
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:16 am
Mandy, that analogy is SO beautiful! I loved it! It was such a splendid insight. Thank you for sharing the wonderful things the Lord has revealed to you! Your example of being willing and available to serve the Lord has been a great motivation and encouragement to me!