open?

ChangeThen they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink. Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’” (Luke 5:33-39, NRSV)

You can not fast while the guest of honor is with you. Nor can you put new fabric on old as a patch or new wine in old wineskins…

Does any of this make sense to us?

Some of it might, but it may not as well.

You see if you cut new fabric and use it to patch old fabric garments when you wash the garment the new piece will shrink differently than the rest of the garment and cause further damage then there was before.

And if you place new fermenting wine in old non-elastic (or already stretched) wineskins, they will burst.

We can not always be looking at how to keep the old, but must be open to the moving of the Spirit and the coming and inbreaking of the Kingdom.

Because change is not just something that you get from a vending machine and God is not a cosmic vending machine shelling out what we want.

We must be ready to move and change with the inbreaking of the Kingdom.

Are you open to what God has in store for us?

gifts

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:1-12, NRSV)

I do not want you to be uninformed about spiritual gifts!

I don’t think any of us want to be uninformed about gifts. Don’t we all like getting gifts?

But really these are not necessarily gifts for us.

The gifts we receive from the Spirit are gifts to help show forth God’s love to the world. To allow God to use us to spread His mercy and love and grace to a world that needs to see it.

We get a gift to help the body, which we are all a part of, and each of us has a part to play. None more important than another. All parts are needed and there is no small job.

So use your gift to build up the body, and show His light to the world!

water to wine

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11, NRSV)

Six stone jars. Why six?

Maybe because there are six days to labor and six days on which we need to be purified. As the Seventh day is for rest because that is what the Lord did on the seventh day.

And why water into wine in the jars used for purification.

Well, what is purification? Merriam-Webster Online defines purification as “the act or an instance of purifying or of being purified.” Ok, so what does purifying mean? Again according to Merriam-Webster Online purifying is “to remove dirty or harmful substances from (something), or to free (someone) from guilt or evil thoughts.”

So the jars are used for ritual cleansing. And Jesus has the servants fill them with water, that He then turns into wine. The jars used to cleanse are filled with wine. A link to the last supper, where the wine becomes the new covenant poured out for all people, where the wine, as His blood, cleanses us and makes us pure to stand in the presence of God.

Here Jesus’ first sign is a link to the New Creation we become in the covenant of His blood poured out for all of us.

Cleansed of all that can harm us, or make us dirty. Ritually purified!

Water to Wine!

 

yet

Grace1Praise the LORD! O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD, or declare all his praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you deliver them; that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory in your heritage. Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, so that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry; he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. (Psalm 106:1-12, NRSV)

Happy are those who observe justice who do righteousness all the time!

So I guess that leaves all of us out!

How many of us are righteous all the time? I know of only 1 “person” who was righteous all the time. He also didn’t judge. But none of us are Jesus…

But we like the ancestors of old have sinned and committed iniquity and done wicked things. We are not always good, nor do we always do righteous things.

Yet God saved them out of Egypt for His name’s sake, and He will save us too!

They were delivered by His word and we can be too!

So that you may know that you have

This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:6-13, NRSV)

The water and the blood testify and so does the Spirit. All of these testify that Jesus is the only Son of God and because of Him we have eternal life.

Whoever has the Son has life, eternal life. Whoever believes in the name of the Son of God has eternal life. Not will get. Or may acquire. You have eternal life.

John wrote these things so that you may know that you have eternal life. You are living eternally now with Jesus!

So go and proclaim that all may have eternal life. If they but believe in the name of Jesus!

Died

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11, NRSV)

Should we continue to sin simply because God is giving us grace?

No. We shouldn’t sin simply because we know that God will forgive us. If we continue to live in sin when we know better we are making the grace God has given us cheap.

It is not about us getting our way. It is about us being set free to live the life that God has called us to. One that is over and above society and one that leads others to see the life that God has given them.

Let us live in the freedom we have been given to follow after Christ and go where He leads us!

a way of life

“You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.’ This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:22-42, NRSV)

After they heard what was going all.

After they heard the wonderful story of Jesus.

After they heard that their hero David was human and died, and heard that David’s master is the Lord of which they were speaking…

They had a change of heart.

They moved to a new way of life.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, and breaking bread and praying.

That is the way of life all of us should be devoted to.

Following the apostles’ teaching.

Being in fellowship with the apostles and each other.

Breaking bread, meaning communion and table fellowship of meals.

And praying…

So devote yourself and change your way of life!

a new heart

c71f0-templeofthelivinggodI will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:24-28, NRSV)

No matter where you are, or how dirty you are. When it is time, God will gather us together and make us clean.

He will put a new heart in us and fill us with His Spirit. Our hardened stone hearts will be smashed and replaced with His wonderful gift of life inside of each and every one of us.

Then we shall live together in the land which He has prepared for us.

And there together we will live as God intended us to by His law.

So hold tight and know He will complete what He has begun.

Faithfully bring forth justice

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. (Isaiah 42:1-9, NRSV)

Here is my servant. I have chosen Him and in Him my soul takes delight.

He has my spirit, and he will bring forth justice. He will faithfully bring forth justice and will stand in the face of oppression without a word until justice has come.

This begs what is justice? Is it getting our way?

Is it the murderer being killed?

Is it our way winning?

Justice is us being brought back to God.

And that is what Jesus did on the cross.

He faithfully brought forth Justice!

Washed in the waters

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:15-22, NRSV)

We talk about baptism as a washing away of our sins and making us right with God. But in the New Testament there are not many who are baptized, at least the stories of people being baptized are not that many. We have no written proof the disciples were baptized. But Jesus was.

Did Jesus need to be baptized?

In another gospel, John tries to get Jesus to baptize him, rather than John baptizing Jesus. But Jesus says it is better to be done this way for now.

Jesus did not have to have His sins washed away. He did not need to be cleansed from wrong doing.

So why?

There are a lot of reasons we could say Jesus needed to be baptized, and all the ones I can think of have reasons that just make them wrong. So why?

The best answer I have for why Jesus had to be baptized is He didn’t, but He was. So ask God when you get there.

He was washed in the water and publically claimed as God’s Son. So we would know He is God’s Son, the Messiah.

So wash in the waters, and allow the savior of the world to change your life.