New Wine, Anyone?

 

“No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” - Matthew 9: 16-17 KJV

This is Jesus talking, so it must be important. Right?

I recall thinking, “Okay, what is this supposed to mean? Why is this even in the Bible?”

Enter my friend, Kaye Lamkin. She was expounding on the Spirit of Might the other day. She understands the Bible on a level few will see, though it’s available to all of us. In the midst of her thoughts, she mentioned something that grabbed my attention like a hook snags in the unsuspecting mouth of a hungry fish. The powerful Fisher of men, Himself, was reeling me in.

I have friends who don’t yet know Jesus. Some may have professed to be a Christian at one point in their lives, but they simple consider Christianity another religion. They may even have read the Bible, but they don’t understand what they’ve read. If you don’t understand the Bible, it’s not your fault.

When we’re born into this world, we’re born into a body of flesh, with a carnal mind. We’ll keep living in that flesh until we leave this world, but that carnal mind cannot comprehend the things of God.

Is a carnal mind a bad thing? No. It simply means that our minds perceive what’s around us using only our five senses. If we can touch something, we know if it’s soft. If we can hear a song, we know whether we find it pleasant or not, etc.

Try as we may to understand God’s Word, we cannot comprehend His love letter to us until we have His Spirit living inside of us. The presence of His Spirit unfolds His Word.

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

That’s the reason we need to be born again. When we turn our back on a sinful way of living and ask Jesus to come into our heart and clean us up, we can have eternal life with Him. Once we receive His Spirit (our choice), then we can BEGIN to understand His love for us. We do not instantly become perfect, but we are perfected in Him.

That’s what the Bible is all about, despite what may feel like a roundabout way of getting to that message.

In Romans 12:1-2, we read that God doesn’t want us to live our lives with the mere capabilities of our natural, carnal mind and the strength of our flesh. He wants to empower us with His power and might. He wants us to submit our bodies to Him, and to renew our minds by spending time with Him, and in His Word.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:1-2 ESV

The more we learn of His love for us, the more we’ll want that love, and the more we’ll pursue knowing Him intimately; for ourselves.

But what does this have to do with new wine and old wineskins?

God can’t pour His Spirit (new wine) into our old way of thinking (our old wineskin) so, at our invitation, He creates a NEW wineskin. We become an entirely new creation! One capable of containing His Spirit and receiving His love!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV  

Simply put, without Jesus, we cannot become the temple of the Holy Spirit, He’s just too big – too much.

 

Turning The Page

 Turning the Page, “What does this look like, Lord?”

While reading the other day, I had questions about what I’d just read. I write in my books, that’s why I don’t like to borrow a book from anyone. I wrote my questions in the margin, like I usually do – in pencil. After reading another page or two, I found the answers to my questions. I went back and erased my question, because now I understood where the author was going with her line of thought.

I can be quite argumentative with the authors I read. Of course, they never know it. I challenge a lot of what I read. Just because someone wrote it, even someone I trust, doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with it. Feel free to disagree with anything you read that I’ve written, too, please.

As I completely erased my question, I was thankful to have discovered the answers I was looking for. I smiled. And – I could have sworn I heard God say to me, “This is how it is when you argue with Me, too. When you turn the page, you’ll find the answers. Keep looking.”

Great Word – however, just what did He mean by turn the page? That’s the question I’m looking for answers to, now.

We’ve been pondering a move for quite some time now; pretty much since Dave retired from the police department. Questions about this move consume our prayers often. When Lord? And where to?

We’re quite comfortable where we are. It’s beautiful here in Colorado. We have a great church family; we have plenty of friends and a nice home. We have family nearby. We have mountains to hike through whenever we’d like. We have a great healthcare plan.

Maybe it’s all the moves we made with the military, but I’m kind of feeling like we need another move. We’ve been here in Colorado for the likes of 30 years now. That’s the longest either one of us has lived anywhere.

We have family in Tennessee and in Ohio, and other places as well. Wouldn’t it be nice to live closer to them now? Yes. It would. We miss them so much!

We’ve weighed pros and cons. It’s actually more affordable to live where we are than in many other places. Plus, the cost of moving will be steep. There’s the headache of selling our home and buying a new one and settling in there.

The bottom line for Dave and I is: where does GOD want us?

What does God want us doing in this season of life?

If He wants us here, we need to be content here and be all about our Father’s business.

If He wants us to move again, we need to be patient and wait on His leading and His direction. I’ll admit, I’m not as patient as Dave. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels here.

But what if there’s more God wants to do with us here and He wants us to stay? What if there’s more to do here BEFORE we move? Plenty of questions.

Now I’m thinking those questions are answered on the next page. We need to turn a page.

Could moving be the page we turn?

No. I don’t think so. We need answers before we turn THAT page.

Please, join us in prayer as we pursue this.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths.” – Proverbs 3:5

“Wait on the LORD, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” – Proverbs 27:14

We know this very well.

 

Blame It On Christmas

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When we’ve called ourselves Christians for a long time, but no one around us has a clue that we profess Jesus Christ is Lord, it can be an awkward step to speak out about our faith and to walk it out in front of our friends.

What better time to take advantage of the holiday season? Blame it on Christmas! Speak out a little bolder, give a little more generously, love a little more freely – and blame it on Christmas. Jesus IS the reason for the season, take advantage of that.

Speakers sometimes brings up the challenge, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Does it make you feel a little uncomfortable, do you squirm in your seat a little more than usual? Do you wonder? Where is your evidence?

(picture from lpcso.org)

In James we read, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is on God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!  (James 2:14-10 NKJV)

Yes, our faith empowers our works. Without faith in God, nothing we accomplish will mean a thing throughout eternity.

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It’s time for your big break, hide behind the mantel of the season, if need be, but exercise your faith. Speak up when conversations or situations make you uneasy; it’s the Spirit of God inside of you moving you to speak, to take action.

When you feel that nudge from God – blame it on Christmas!

(picture from pinterest.com)

The Box

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In a daze, she sat there on the floor staring at the box between her sprawled legs.

She thought she’d give this box away. Each time she’d opened it, she put something in – never looking at the things she placed in it before. Half of what it contained, she’d long since forgotten; many of the items having been tossed in without much thought.

The box had been buried in the bottom of her backpack; it was small, but it was heavy. When she discovered it beneath the tissues and notebooks and pencils and reading materials, the Chapstick and reading glasses and a change of clothes for the baby, she felt the same confidence she’d had each time she opened the box. Putting in something new was completely different than the notion of looking at its contents.

She had no desire to lift the lid or to dig through the contents. She just wanted to be rid of it. Perhaps it’s a form of denial or a measure of faith, but by placing the items in this particular box it was supposed to lighten her load and make her journey through life more pleasurable. It was no one’s methodology but her own.

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“How many times must I give it all away?” she whimpered.

Alone with her thoughts and the tears she refused to surrender, she sat at her end of the negotiation table. Again, lifting her outstretched hands, she wrestled a bit with how weighty it was.

“Here! For crying out loud, take this stupid thing,” she insisted. Within seconds, her muscles trembled, “It’s too heavy for me, why do You keep giving it back to me?”

“I can’t give back something you’ve never let go of, Helen.” Grasping the box firmly and sitting down with her, He said, “Let’s see what we have in here.”

“Those things are too heavy for me,” she protested, resisting the idea of allowing Him to open the box right there in front of her. He was supposed to do something with it. She had no desire to see what all she’d placed in it. Her heart raced.

“But, there might be something good in here,” He said, promisingly.

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With an air of anticipation, He placed the box back on the floor between her knees.

“You expect to see good things in there?” she asked. Her puzzled brow yielded itself to the notion that there might be something she hadn’t considered.

There air in her lungs was trapped for a few seconds before it searched for an exit. As her breath seeped from her nostrils, she considered the point that not everything in the box was bad. But, why would she have put something good in there? The whole idea of putting these things into this box was to rid herself of them.

Quickly, the question dashed across her mind, “These things are all a part of me, why would I give them away? The good, the bad, and yes – even the ugly, all parts of me; my life.”

Not even attempting to open it, He smiled at her, as if He somehow knew that she was getting it. She was beginning to catch a glimpse of something that had been hidden behind dark clouds and confusion, but was there all along. Something that the world might consider small and insignificant began to blow her whole world wide open.

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Scary? Yes! But, like a roller coaster ride you’ve been anticipating since you first heard about it.

Mentally, she searched her own thoughts on what the box contained:

·        Things she considered too heavy to carry

·        Things that challenged her version of reality

·        Things too big to understand

·        Expectations that would crush her if not met

·        Disappointments – founded and not

·        Fears – perceived and real

·        People she loved

·        People she dreaded

·        Shame

·        Guilt

·        Her weaknesses

·        Intimidation from her own strengths

·        Heartaches

·        The responsibilities for the choices of others

She marveled at the notion that some of those things weren’t even hers to give away.

“What else might be in there that I’ve unknowingly discarded?” she pondered. She wanted to smile because she knew He saw her curiosity. But, did she dare look?

Whispering, He suggested, “What if there are pretty items in there? Like the gifts and joys you didn’t feel you deserved? What if everything in the box is wrapped with potential?”

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A lump got caught in her throat. Was it hope?

This simple task was making her muster up courage. “Why do I hesitate?” She wanted to ask out loud, but was afraid He’d answer. If she heard His reply, there’d be no turning back.

She irrationally wanted to get up and run as far as should could, as fast as she could. But, to where? Scripture surfaced in her thoughts.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me…”

(Psalm 139:7-10 NKJV)

Yes, one of her favorite Psalms.

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“O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain to it.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; and that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”

(Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 NKJV)

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Her thoughts didn’t race; they meandered through her mind, taking pleasure with each point made: “He knows me, yet He loves me. He knows ME, yet He loves ME! He loves me enough to open the box with me, knowing what’s inside.

Maybe, just maybe – I can love me that much, too. I trust Him. Completely.”

Almost embarrassed, she looked up and quietly conceded, “Go on. Open it.”

Fear washes over me, but, hope breaks through. Anticipation rises. My heart races, my breath comes in tiny gasps. My face is hot. My eyes fill with tears. My blood feels like it’s shaking in my veins. He’s been waiting for this.

We’ll open it – together. 

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A New Year, A New Season

Another year comes to an end. Already.

 

I think this past year has been a year of waiting; sometimes not even knowing what I was waiting for. Sometimes waiting for a break from caring for my father-in-law, some of the time waiting for new grandbabies to be born and yes, another is due in a couple of weeks!

 

But here lately I’ve been feeling more thankful to God than ever, for all the wonderful blessings in my life.

 

On a good hair day, when you’re on time for your appointments and the perfect parking space opens up everywhere you go and people actually smile at you – it’s so easy to be thankful for your life.

 

But on those days when you have to hide your hair under a hat, do your best to cover a gigantic pimple, sit carefully all day because your jeans are too tight and you’ve got a case of the clumsies and everything you touch falls apart – it’s too easy to forget about all we have to be grateful for.

 

Why is that?

 

My friend Stacy Voss has the perfect reminder for me – the beautiful coffee mug (pictured above) that bears the tag line, Seize the Gratimoment! (Contact her here to get your own.)

 

Sometimes we need to purposefully look for gratitude in the moment. We need to focus on what we do have; we need to take our focus off the things that are bringing us down or “ruining our day” – and seize the opportunity to turn things around with our attitude by finding something to be grateful for.

 

This year, I promise myself to be more thankful and to discover what it means to “live in the moment”!

 

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:19 NIV

To Autumn With Intent

 

The dog-days-of-summer are winding down, giving way to weather more like a finicky cat. Chilly mornings yield to hot afternoons that turn into grab-your-jacket evenings. Nighttime gets down right cold.

 

To me, autumn signals a throw back to when I was a child and September meant back-to-school, get down to business and learn; always seeking new points to ponder and finding questions to ask at every turn. I loved it!

 

Smiles can’t hide from the memories of tomato soup and crackers, gray skies drenching us with rain and winds that could cut through any coat. The promises of snow on the horizon and the teasing of an Indian summer were the backdrop to countless hopes and expectations of what the new school year would bring.

 

 

 

Blending in with the scenery, not noticed in any crowd, I could watch without hiding, observing everything, wondering what the future held for me. In my own little world, I had purpose – though I didn’t always understand what it was.

 

This colorful season makes me want to get busy, as if summer was for relaxing, like the summer vacations from childhood. Fall means it’s time to get serious.

 

 

 

What’s on your to-do list? Leave your excuses in the shadows of summer and prepare to cross off the things on that list with determination.

 

Breathe in the aroma of crunching leaves beneath your feet. Close your eyes and experience that sunshine on your face. Smile more. See what’s in front of you, actually look at it. Listen to the sounds around you. Touch things just for the sake of feeling them. Keep the promises you’ve made to yourself. Today begins a new season in your life. The past has passed – tomorrow is new, intentionally create it.

 

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)