The “Fast & Pray” shirt was designed by Adam Grason. Adam and his wife, Christina, are intercessory missionaries serving in leadership at the Orlando House of Prayer (formerly known as Living Waters Church) located in Orlando, Florida.  OHOP’s mission is to provide 24/7, night and day,  prayer to Central Florida and show passionate dedication to interceding, healing, prophesying, fasting, evangelizing, equipping  and calling forth transformation all across the world for the return of the Lord Jesus.

 Adam serves in multiple roles at OHOP. He is involved in the training and mentoring of students, but spends the majority of his time and energy in the prayer room giving himself to prayer and fasting. Christina has sung as a prophetic singer and worship leader.

Adam and Christina are both seeking to serve nationally and internationally to call the church back to her first love through prayer and fasting.  Adam states “I am convinced that the great need of the hour is the knowledge of God.  We need a corporate returning to God through gatherings of prayer and fasting and we need it now.”

 Adam’s “Fast & Pray” design exemplifies his desire to serve the Lord, both as an artist and an intercessory missionary. Adam has a burning passion for design and ministry and is currently raising support to continue his work at OHOP. Please join FOUND-VESSEL in supporting the Grason’s through the purchase of this shirt. All proceeds from the shirt will go to support their ministry.

 Adam is also available for illustration, apparel design and print design. His work can be found at: Ihttp://zadok44.carbonmade.com/

 

“having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”   Colossians 2:12

In this verse we find the key to which we base our Christian faith. It is here in Colossians, we once again find the gift of forgiveness. Paul’s word to the Colossians, as well as ourselves, is that God’s saving action happens in the person of Jesus Christ. He simply states that our sinful nature had made us spiritually dead, but through our union with Christ, these sins have been “dead and buried.” In other words, we have been forgiven because of Christ’s work on the cross.

Paul reminds us that Jesus’ work on the cross has cut away our sinful nature and we have been “baptized” and raised to become God’s children.  Baptism parallels the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In this verse, it portrays the death and burial of the believer’s sinful way of life.

The end of the verse affirms that we are raised from the dead to a new life with Christ. God has made us alive in Christ and we belong to him. Our belief is based on the faith in the mighty power of God that raised Christ from the dead and in the process forgave us of our sins and paved the way for eternal life.

The “Dead and Buried” shirt symbolizes the key features of Paul’s word to the Colossians and to us. The skull represents death. In the Bible, Golgotha or “skull” is the place in Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. Some suggest that this descriptive word was used figuratively as a symbol of death.

The boxes signify our sinful nature.  In Colossians 3:5 we are told to:

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

To this end, the “Dead and Buried” shirt is a way to share your faith through the symbolism of God’s greatest gift, the gift of forgiveness of our sins. 

FOUND/VESSEL is a proud sponsor of The Pocket Testament League. Proceeds from shirt sales have been used to make available 20,000 presentations of the Gospel message.  Recently, we received a binder with 200+ stories that were received from individuals that have utilized these Gospels to further God’s kingdom in their community. The following is an email that was received by Christine in Christianburg, VA. It touched our heart to see how an 11 year old has a heart to make the lost, FOUND.  Christine writes:

“My 11 year old son wants to witness to youth at the local skate park. With the help of our church, he will hand out the Gospels with a cold drink to skaters at the park. God has led him to this because of the behavior he has witnessed at the park leading him to believe Jesus is needed there. Our church is considering making this a church wide mission project starting this summer. He wants to start this now in hopes that others will join him later. Thank you for your support and creating the skateboard cover that is a perfect attention getter with this crowd.”

We at FOUND/VESSEL have a goal to help equip an army of people to share their faith and change the lives of young men and women for eternity. Please pray that God will use these Gospels to impact that lives of those who have received them.

Give them Heaven!

“Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.(KJV)”

                                                                                                                                             Jeremiah 48:11

The winemaking process is a vivid example of our need to be open to the refining process of growth and maturity in the Lord.  In the days of Jeremiah, the winemaker would crush grapes and pour them into a vessel where the lees would settle. At just the right time, the winemaker would pour the wine into a new vessel leaving the dregs behind. This process would often be completed up to seven times until the refinement process was complete.

The analogy of the wine, which is the symbol of joy, is important to understand while developing intimacy with the Lord. But what about the vessel(s) that are used in this passage? Indeed, vessels are used by God to facilitate change. They are an important part of the refinement process. In the case of this passage the vessel acts as a “holding tank” or secure place for which God’s filtration process occurs. The vessel’s place is to be an agent of change for the completion of God’s work. This vessel or agent may have different abilities, but each of these abilities are utilized perfectly in the refinement process of developing Christ-like characteristics.

Interestingly enough, in the process of winemaking the juice is poured from vessel to vessel up to seven times, the number for spiritual perfection. Revealing that the refinement process often takes more than one vessel to be used in the task. God in His infinite wisdom utilizes multiple sources to be involved in the change process. Each vessel utilizing its giftedness to the maturation process, while at the same time showcasing the humility that is needed on behalf of the vessel as it alone is not enough to complete the process.

As the verse ends, there is one last demand on behalf of both the wine and the vessel. In the passage, Jeremiah writes that Moab had settled or lost its motivation and the wine had lost its scent and the vessel that had been used as an instrument of refinement becomes a means for staleness. To be refined or used requires a focus on the winemaker, our Lord and Savior. Without the winemaker, the entire process grinds to a halt and both wine and vessel are considered useless.

Where are you on this continuum of refinement vs. usefulness? Is God calling you into a season of change or is he asking you to step out in faith as a tool for refinement in the life of another? Take time to meditate and ask God for understanding of where you need to be. Wine or vessel? Either way, God’s hand is upon you and He is in control.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13)

“but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (vs.4)”

Is your vessel filled with oil as you wait for the return of the bridegroom? In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, five virgins were ready for the midnight cry,  arose and trimmed their lamps and went with him into the wedding and the door was shut. The other five were locked out.

Simply stated, Jesus is reminding us that no one knows for sure the day or hour our Lord will return. Some will be prepared with oil (symbol of the Holy Spirit) in their vessels ready to be used  by God. Others will be shut out and the Lord will answer  “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. “ (vs. 12)

Take a moment today to check the oil in your vessel . Pray that your “lamp is trimmed” and ready for that day when our Lord returns.

We at FOUND-VESSEL  look  forward to celebrating that wedding day with each one of you.

Found-Vessel is excited to have donated two gift baskets to the silent auction at the Museum of Biblical Art on June 9, 2009. The museum was destroyed in 2005 and is raising money for its re-opening in September of 2009. A brief paragraph about the museum is found below.

Since its birth over 50 years ago, millions have visited the Biblical Arts Center, which was founded by Mattie Caruth Byrd. Exhibition highlights have included: the Marc Chagall Exhibit, Norman Rockwell’s “Family Life,” and the Dead Sea Scrolls, named Texas Tourism’s “Attraction of the Year.” In 2005, a devastating fire destroyed the museum and its contents including 2,500 works of art and all of the popular Judeo-Christian displays and galleries.

The new Museum of Biblical Art is now under construction and scheduled for Grand Opening September 2009. A Leadership Dinner is planned for June 9, 2009, to help raise funds to complete the interior and purchase equipment and furnishings prior to the opening. For more information about the museum, please go to www.biblicalarts.org.

May God bless the museum and its work in preserving Biblical history.

Recently, VESSEL asked one of its fans to share what it means to her to be a VESSEL. Her name is Brianna and the following is her response:

“I have my devotions every morning before school (I’m homeschooled). My mom says I have a servants heart, me and my family have served the homeless a couple of times; and we love to make cookies for the firemen on special occasions. More recently, a girl in my neighborhood really needs a friend right now. She’s Cambodian, and she’s taught about Buddha. Just yesterday my  friend and I were talking to her about Jesus. Please pray for her, her name is Tina. ”

VESSEL is excited to hear how women of all ages are being used by God to further His Kingdom. Send us an email (info@tobeusedbyGod.com)  and share your story. We’d  love to hear from you!

New FOUND shirt coming in early June. Design by Adam Grason.

Brethren, pray for us.”
              1 Thessalonians 5:25

We at FOUND-VESSEL echo Paul’s desire in his request to the church at Thessalonica. If you have a desire to support our outreach ministry please keep us in prayer. It is our goal to not only sell shirts but to provide resources through select outreach ministries (i.e., The Pocket Testament League and Calvary Chapel Surf Association) to further God’s kingdom. However, it is our firm belief that apart from our Lord we can do very little (John 15:5) to guide individuals into a relationship with our Savior. We pray that God will use us and bless this endeavor.

The foundation of FOUND-VESSEL is to be a Christian clothing company with a heart for outreach and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We asked that you consider supporting us through prayer with the following ongoing requests:

1.       Individuals who wear the FOUND-VESSEL brand will be lead to share their Faith when asked the meaning of the design.

2.       That God will use the Pocket Gospel of John to reach a lost generation through the outreach opportunities provided and inspired by our Lord and Savior.

3.       Ongoing inspiration for our artists that design shirts that emphasize Christ-like love.

4.       Wisdom for each individual involved in the growth of the ministry.

Thank you for your support of this ministry.

We often receive questions about the symbolism in our shirts. One of the more common questions we receive revolves around the use of the pig. The pig or “swine” which is found on the logo and is located on the left sleeve of all of the FOUND shirts represents the “ungodly or sinner.” One definition for the ungodly or sinner would be a person who is alienated from God and subject to death. In the case of FOUND, the pig was chosen as a symbol because of its rich history found in the Bible. According to the Tyndale Bible dictionary:

 

“Strict Jews would not even mention swine by name but would always substitute the term “the abomination.” Israelites considered themselves polluted if they were even touched by a swine’s bristle. To the Jews, the pig symbolized filth and ugliness.”

 

However the good news of the Gospel is revealed in Ephesians 2:1 – 5 where Paul writes:

 

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following the desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”(NIV)

 

We have all gone astray, but like the prodigal son who gratified his sinful nature by asking for his share of the estate and squandering his wealth in wild living, we can be FOUND by God who in His rich mercy, made us alive with Christ.

 

FOUND is a Christian clothing company dedicated to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you would like to receive a pocket Gospel of John with a plan for salvation, please email your name and address to info@found-vessel.com.