Master Potter: From Brokenness to Divine Destiny - An Allegorical Journey (Chronicles of Master Potter)

Rating:
Summary: MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Review: I have to be honest with you, I have never read a book quite like this in all of my life.
As a reviewer and as a Christian, I have read many, many books, but this one is so unique that it is hard to find the words to describe it. I only hope I can do it justice.

It is the heartbreaking story of a girl who at first is called "Forsaken."
Forsaken is an abused, cast off girl, the garbage of mankind, no longer useful to anyone she has been discarded on Potter's Field, the town's garbage dump. Her spirit crushed as a child, her body and mind used and manipulated as a young woman, Forsaken is the symbol of so many others that this life has written off as expendable.

You find you are feeling many emotions as you read the thoughts of Forsaken, the writer touches a chord within you.
She is a broken vessel, battling the forces within and around her that whisper death would be sweet and beckon Forsaken to plunge into the depths of hell, where there is no return.
Wondering around Potter's Field ,with other vessels perhaps even more pitiful than herself, the war begins for the eternal home of this forgotten soul of mankind.

The author does an outstanding job of allowing you to feel the heart cry of Forsaken, know her thoughts, her pain, her agony. You breathe a sigh of relief as you read of the Master Potter's pull on Forsaken to come to Him, and you silently pray that she will have the strength to reach out to that call.
Her Angel stands near wanting to do more than he is allowed to, awaiting her final decision for her eternal destiny, as demonic forces throw their fiery darts at her in hopes that she will curse God and die.
As the story goes, Forsaken does follow Master Potters voice and He lovingly takes her to His home and begins to mend her broken spirit, changing her name to Beloved.
Wonderful!

I really am not sure how to explain this to you, but never have I identified with a character in any other novel that I have read, as I did with Beloved.
By the time I was at the end of the novel, I had become that girl. I was Beloved, it was my life that Master Potter was carefully sculpturing for His service; it was my life that the enemies of the cross were scheming to destroy. Although some of the circumstances that would have brought me to the point where Beloved was may have been different, it was still the road that I was traveling. The author weaves her words in such a way that I feel everyone would identify with Beloved and the pain that life can inflict on each one of us,for they too have tasted the blood on the battlefields that they have experienced in their journey we call life.

As Beloved continues on , she encounters satanic forces that are battling to take her away from Master Potter, who is of course the Lord, and their job is to destroy her forever.
With each battle she fought, I fought it with her. With each tear she shed, I shed it with her and with each tender kiss of the Master, I soared in her ecstasy of His love for her and for me.

This book is the story of every Christians life, their battles, their victories their walk with God. We are on a journey, pilgrims walking through the land, completing our mission and this book tells that story; in a way that will touch your very soul as you relate to each saga that is being played before you.

I sighed when I realized I had to wait to read book two before I could continue the story of Beloved, but somehow I think I know how it comes out. At least I hope I do, because it could well be my story too.

Highly recommended read for every Christian and for those that want to know just what we are all about.

Shirley Johnson

Rating:
Summary: An amazing book!
Review: This may be a fiction book, but the spiritual insight it offers could change your life. It is the most amazing portrayal of God's love and our relationship that I have ever read outside of the Bible. Not only does she reveal glimpses of the spiritual realm and the battle raging in the heavens, she shows God's careful attention to each one of us and our destinies.
Master Potter helps you understand God's character and why he allows some trials in our lives. In this book, Jill Austin covers a number of dilemmas and issues every one of us has to face to fulfill the destiny God has for us. For instance, Beloved and the other vessels face condemnation, deception, and unbelief. Through her careful storytelling, Austin reveals how demonic forces work to destroy our lives but also shows God's redemption and plans to heal us, refine us, and make us pure and beautiful vessels. I also loved this book because it is a wonderful introduction to how the Holy Spirit works in our lives, including the gifts of the Spirit and other manifestations of God.
This book I believe is best used when several friends can read it and talk about it. There is so much in it that it would be beneficial to obtain others' insights and revelations. In fact, I am planning to lead a small group based on the book (even if it is fiction!).