Good Sunday! I am so hopeful you have found a church home, you readers. I found a church that really emphasizes a walk with Jesus. It is refreshing to hear a pastor say almost weekly, that he is right among us. All of us continuing our journey, never there, as long as we are on this earth. And, I really love when the ushers walk through the isles right before the sermon to hand out Bibles! Really! I love it. They hold them high in the air, making them visible for anyone to use during the service. That stuff just pumps me up now. Make them Bibles visible, churches!!
My 12 year old goes to a Catholic School. He was born and raised Catholic. He has had to have a change of plans, when his momma decided to attend other churches. It makes my heart sing when my son says every service now, "Mom, that was the best one ever". He asked me when I was going to join the music team today. Also, he had a twinkle in his eye when I pointed out the baptismal font, where I will be baptized on February 19. Look how far a 12 year old boy can come in flexibility, open-mindedness and growth in faith. What an example for us adults. I used to pray that my children would be good, moral people. Yes, that was my prayer. I missed part of the target there. Due to my Holy Spirit filling, I can now say that my only hope for my children will be that they will re-dedicate their lives to Christ someday, as I am. And if they choose to do it with baptism (Oh, please let them not hold back!), I cannot explain my joy. Sometimes, when I look at my answered prayers, when I review my journal and my conversations with God, when I get hugs in churches from people that really are Spirit filled church people (Oh, yes, there are always a number of "We need to keep building our tower to get closer to God type of Babylon People"), I know I must have a healthy heart. Otherwise it could not take this pounding and pitter- pattering it does so often now. Please, Lord, keep me here longer with a healthy heart to spread this good news the world is missing!!!
I am sure I have mentioned in previous blogs my contrast of life now that the Lord did this to me, this wonderful thing. It must amaze some, it confuses some, and convicts some. That entire reality is not of my concern. All three of those groups have hope to have exactly what I have. The Holy Spirit could only be the culprit to make three types of reactions come out of folks! There usually isn't a neutral person to me, now.
It's fun to go shopping and talk to God a little before you go. You should know, almost daily in my morning devotions, I ask Him to "Make me be a light for others, to reflect Him". Also, I ask Him to give me His words, especially when there is an opening for me to insert a kind, soft, sweet word about Jesus and what He has done to my life this last year. It seems to go well 90% of the time. At Barnes and Noble and McDonalds both on one Friday, I had Holy Spirit happenin's!! Try the Pay It Forward in a drive-thru. It is way fun, more exciting than that roller coaster in Las Vegas. I Pay It Forward, but also I feel it is important to add a note and have the McDonald's person give it to the receiver. My little paper explains my life and how God has changed it, that I am overflowing with joy and want to share it. It's that simple. But this way I am giving God all the glory for the gift. I am just being directed by Him to do it.
When we talk about my contrast of life (and hopefully yours--pray and seek, it WILL come), I look at things like alcohol a lot. I think about how I used to get tipsy on wine, etc. And now, I truly have a high that is leaps and bounds above that. And it produces no guilt, no hangover, it costs nothing. It is contagious. I tell my loving friend Dee Dee that I do cartwheels for Christ and I can't help it. I really feel like that, often. Yes, I have hard times. My hardest times are when others talk about me and my change. They don't talk to me about it. They talk to others about it. And usually it is over cocktails. Isn't that ironic? I am getting drunk on the Lord, and they are on an artificial means. And I used to do the same thing.
Most of us drinkers compare our volume of alcohol to others. I was guilty of this. It was a scheme. I had this all figured out. I knew who drank more than me. I knew who drank less. I always thought, "Well, at least I am not a drunk. At least I don't drink like so and so".
I was such a world-loving and not Jesus following person that I wouldn't date guys that didn't drink. What a shame. Now, I realize these fellas were possibly born-agains, or really grounded Christians. I remember having an attitude about people that were tea-totallers. I also remember feeling really weirded out about a nice person I dated that got a cross tattoo on his chest (saw him at the water park). Also, I was not exactly comfortable about his posting pictures on Facebook from his Christian music concert he went to. The huge lit up cross was just too much for me.
Now, the wineskins. This passage just made sense to me recently. And, yes, reading the Bible daily, it changes and gets deeper every day. Praise you Lord, for opening my eyes and showing me what it is all about!
From the NIV Life Applications Bible, it explains it clearly that this meant that Jesus states the old religious rituals are the old wineskins, and He is the new wine. And you can't be rigid and expect Him to fill you. Is that awesome, that parable? He did not come to patch up the old system (sewing a patch of new, unshrunk cloth, which is Jesus, to an old garment.) Please read it for yourself. We can't be rigid. His Word will reveal new things to us daily. Our interactions with Christians will have Holy Spirit messages. His whisper will guide us in new directions, if we listen. This all means change. This all means that we are not there yet. This means when we sit in church, we should stop ourselves quick when we think that "we got it--they don't".
Let me end with a great little thing. I need to spread this good news and this blog is a great way. If we don't share our miracles, we can't quickly advance the kingdom. Yes, we all need to advance the kingdom and throw our nets out.
This may seem simple to you, but it is not to me: I prayed on 1-14-12, yesterday that the Lord would heal my shoulder. It has been very painful for many weeks, causing me pain, trying to sleep. I did nothing to hurt it. I am in pretty good shape, not overweight. There is no reason for my shoulder to hurt. I listened to Joyce Meyers (I do a lot) and I am reading The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson. Both of these items helped me to realize that I can pray for this shoulder, and should. How we lack simple faith.
Today after church I went to grab something. And I was delighted to feel very little pain. I keep moving it around, it has been a long time since I wouldn't wince all the time. It is almost pain free. No medicine, no doctor, no shot, no xray. I went to Jesus.
In our sanitized America, we have sanitized the churches. We have left out intense prayer and belief in answered prayers. Do we really need much prayer? We have the world's best doctors. Penicillin $4.00 at Walmart. Hand sanitizers all over the place. Even antibacterial Kleenex. I assume other parts of the world experience so many miracles because they believe, and they have so many requests. Such a need for prayer and miracles where children die hungry and diseased.
I did ask for my shoulder to be healed and the Lord healed it. I want you to think about that silly request I had, and how quickly He answered it. Maybe He wanted me to not forget I asked for it, so He answered in 24 hours. I do know, He wants me to share that. Would you please pray earnestly for someone's pain or suffering? Or your own? And then, you have a responsibility to spread that heavenly news. Journal and write the date of your prayer requests. Expose your raw self to the Lord. Ask Him to reveal all that you need to know about your stains. Tell Him you will work for Him, for His glory and to save souls. Cry your eyes out, precious tears.
We went from wineskins to patches to prayers in this blog. It is a wonderful life I have in Christ. I am so pleased you read this. I will be here, blogging about twice a week, God willing. I will share my grime, my growth. Please come back and have a sip with me. "Mull" it over with me. Mull over a passage or two of the Bible daily. Please, you will be satisfied!
Honor and Glory to only the Most High! Lord, I am nothing without you and keep me very close to you. Papa, you are right here and I want to please you, so others can know the joy you intended all along to us lost sheep. We deserve this happiness on earth, and we know it can only come through a personal relationship with your Son, Jesus Christ.
Mark 2:21-22 "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins".
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