Month: December 2024

Transformation

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JESUS SPEAKING

    “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put in to new wineskins and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5: 37-39)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

    In the ancient world, when an animal was slaughtered, the stomach and the bladder were extracted and utilized to store and transport valuable liquids. Wine was a very common first century beverage. Unlike water, wine underwent a process known as fermentation; during which gases were produced; these gases caused the wineskins to swell and expand. The older wineskins were hard and inflexible (like leather.) As the new wine expanded, it would cause them to tear open. Therefore, unfermented wine was placed into new wineskins. In this illustration, the old wineskins represent old ideas, habits, and beliefs that are incompatible with the new life God has offered through His Son Jesus Christ. Most people despise change; preferring instead to cling to their old lives. The followers of Jesus Christ however, must let go of the old and grab hold of the new; we must no longer fear change, but rather, we must fully embrace it.
    Shortly after becoming a Christian, God began to make some very serious changes in my life. For many years I had enjoyed listening to secular rap music and heavy metal. But one day God showed me how it was negatively affecting my spirit. So I made a commitment to only listen to worship music (which was positive, clean, and uplifting.) My appetite for the old music was strong; at first the new music wasn’t appealing to me; but slowly I began to like it. Soon I was joyfully singing along with the songs; I noticed my attitude was more positive; my thoughts were more peaceful. I even began smiling with ever greater frequency. Today I am still committed to listening to worship music. God has made similar changes in every area of my life. He has healed me; the old things have passed away; behold, He has made all things new.
    God desires to pour His Spirit into the hearts and minds of those who are willing to receive it. His Spirit produces great transformation. We must let go of our fears and become willing to embrace change. Only by allowing God to transform us will we truly experience new life. Let go of your old ideas, habits, and beliefs, and receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Allow Him to guide and direct you and He will lead you into a place of everlasting joy.
    “Lord Heavenly Father, we ask and pray that You would make wonderful transformations in our hearts and minds. May we become flexible; may we embrace change. We desire to become more like You Jesus; remove any habits, ideas, or beliefs that are standing in the way of our growth; destroy the old things and bring forth the new. May we experience the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

The Outcasts

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JESUS SPEAKING

   Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors (sinners) and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees (religious leaders) complained against His disciples saying, “Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Luke 5: 29 – 32.)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

    Those who had committed the greatest offenses were also the most eager to receive forgiveness. The prostitutes and tax-collectors, devoid of any delusions of purity, were wholly capable of conducting an honest self-appraisal.  Many religious leaders however, believing themselves to be righteous, refused to accept the message of repentance and reconciliation.  The initial step toward the restoration of divine fellowship includes a genuine recognition of sin. Still today, those who need the greatest measure of healing, are often rejected by the self-righteous. Although most have forsaken the worst offenders, God has not abandoned them.

  Many living within the boundaries of the Roman Empire had little compassion for the sick and the infirmed.  There were no retirement homes, assisted living facilities, or modern hospitals.  Poor sanitary practices often lead to outbreaks of disease that devastated entire towns, cities, and nations.  Those who contracted contagious illnesses were frequently abandoned by the healthy; and left to die in the streets. Still, as Christianity spread, so did mercy, compassion, and love. As the story goes, during a plague in Alexandria, Egypt, a group of Christians assembled to care for those who were sick. While others fled, they moved in to help. They became known as “the Parabalani” (“the reckless ones”); because in caring for the infirmed, they selflessly exposed themselves to infection.  As they ministered, they likely shared the gospel; drawing many to the foot of the cross.

    In similar fashion, we are called to care for the sickest of sinners; those who have been abandoned and left to die.  Drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, thieves, adulterers, fornicators, etc., are frequently the most willing recipients of God’s message of forgiveness and salvation. May we never abandon the lost; nor shun the wretched; for Jesus Christ himself loves the outcasts.

   “Lord Heavenly Father, may we never forget that we are but sinners, saved by Your grace.  Provide us with opportunities to minister to the lost.  May we have compassion on the sick and love those who are dying.  May we be instruments of Your mercy; delivering Your message of salvation to all those who are lost.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.”  God bless all of you!

What is Truly Valuable

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JESUS SPEAKING

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God.” (Luke 16: 14 – 15)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

Jesus chastised the Jewish leaders for loving money more than God. Outwardly they appeared religious, but inwardly their hearts were full of idolatry and greed. Jesus proclaims that what is highly esteemed among men (gold, silver, material possessions, power, etc.) are in direct opposition to what God values. The virtues of the heart, which are priceless to the Lord, include things such as truth, justice, mercy, love, faithfulness, obedience and righteousness. Chasing after what is highly esteemed among men will inevitably lead to sin (Note: Some material wealth can be the result of genuinely serving God.)

When I was in high school, many years before my conversion, my friends and I entered a basketball tournament. Because we had lost in previous years, we became convinced that everyone was cheating, by lying on the entry forms about their level of experience. And so we devised a scheme to lie on our forms as well. In turn, we were placed in a lower division and we easily won the championship, thus attaining those coveted trophies for ourselves. Afterward, some of my friends felt convicted and threw their trophies away, but I refused. I packed the trophy away in my things from high school. Many years later, while visiting my home town, I went through some of my old things and discovered the trophy. Having become a Christian I saw that valuable trophy for what it truly was; a worthless object that had been obtained through deception. I immediately tossed it into the garbage where it belonged.

When we chase after things that are not valuable to God, our hearts can become divided, compromised, and distant from the Lord. The carnal pursuits of this life will draw our eyes away from what is truly important to God. But if we remain focused on what is pleasing to the Lord, we can serve Him with our whole hearts and know unending joy.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we praise You for every provision and kindness You have bestowed upon us. We desire to know You and to pursue those things that are valuable in Your sight. Grant us the strength to submit to selfless living as we serve others with gratitude and humility. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.” God bless all of you!